INDUSTRY VIEW
AS MIDDLE EAST MARKET DYNAMICS SHIFT, CHANNEL VALUE BEGINS WHERE THE SALE ENDS
KARIM AZAR, AVP & GM, CONFLUENT MIDDLE EAST
At the start of 2026, the outlook for the Middle East channel was clear. IT spending across the region was set to rise sharply, with Gartner projecting that IT spending in MENA would reach US $ 169 billion this year, an 8.9 % increase on 2025. Karim Azar, AVP & GM, Confluent Middle East, explains how priorities are shifting from focus on growth and new Business Development to a greater emphasis on maintaining business continuity, strengthening cyber-resilience and ensuring operational stability. more for us right now? How quickly can it adapt to shifting priorities? And, crucially, is it still delivering value in the way we need it to today? In many ways, this is not a new dynamic. But it is being brought into much sharper focus.
From deployment to value rediscovery
This is where the channel’ s role is being redefined, and where the biggest opportunity now lies. In many organisations, the first use case is only the beginning. Platforms are implemented to solve an immediate need, but their broader potential often remains untapped. In more stable times, that untapped value can sit dormant. Today, it has become too important to ignore. The most effective partners are already leaning into this by helping customers rediscover value within existing investments.
But in recent weeks, the ground has shifted, subtly but meaningfully. Across the region, organisations are still moving forward. The ambition has not changed. But priorities are being recalibrated in real time. There is a greater emphasis on maintaining business continuity, strengthening cyber-resilience and ensuring operational stability. There is also intent to meet these objectives by getting more out of what is already in place, rather than committing to large-scale new projects. This changes the equation for the channel, because in this environment, winning the next deal matters less than remaining relevant after the last one.
Customers are starting to ask harder questions. Are we fully using what we have already invested in? Can this platform do
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