NEWS
UAE channel partners embrace data to drive 2026 growth
Channel partners in the UAE are prioritising data-driven innovation to fuel growth in 2026, according to new research from global technology distributor Westcon-Comstor.
A survey of 500 partners across the UAE and four other countries found that 40 % of UAE-based respondents plan to invest in data-led offerings over the next 12 months to unlock new opportunities and increase profitability. This figure matches the global average and outpaces other priorities such as market expansion or a shift towards managed services and subscription models.
Across all five countries surveyed – Australia, Singapore, Spain, the UAE and the UK – most partners are already using real-time data to improve customer experience and inform business decisions. Common use cases include tracking customer behaviour and preferences( 57 %), refining marketing and sales strategies( 50 %) and identifying market trends( 42 %).
The findings form part of Westcon-Comstor’ s Future Ready programme and coincide with growing adoption of its analyticsdriven sales initiative, Intelligent Demand( iD). In calendar year 2025, the number of channel campaigns supported by Intelligent Demand increased by 132 % year-on-year, rising from 540 to more than 1,200.
Renton D-Souza
Atul Damani
“ Our research confirms that data-driven innovation is now a critical driver of AI-led growth and differentiation for channel partners,” said Atul Damani, Chief Data Officer at Westcon-Comstor.“ As channel evolution accelerates, the importance of data will only continue to grow.”
Renton D-Souza, Managing Director, Gulf at Westcon-Comstor, added:“ In the UAE, partners are embracing analytics to unlock new opportunities and deliver exceptional value in a fast-evolving market.”
Abacus Group opens Abu Dhabi office to extend UAE presence
Abacus Group, a leading IT Managed Services Provider and Managed Security Services Provider to highly regulated industries globally, has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, further strengthening its presence in the Middle East.
The launch closely follows Abacus’ s recent expansion into Dubai, marking the second phase of its strategic growth plans in the UAE. Together, the two offices enable Abacus to support the full breadth of the country’ s financial services ecosystem and reflect its longterm commitment to ensuring that firms across the UAE and the wider region have direct access to specialist, locally delivered IT and cybersecurity expertise.
The new office is situated within the Abu Dhabi Global Market, one of the world’ s leading and fastest-growing international financial centres. With its robust regulatory framework, direct application of English common law jurisdiction and rapidly expanding community of global asset managers and financial institutions, ADGM has become a premier destination for businesses seeking a secure and sophisticated operating environment.
The expansion is driven by the region’ s proven success and continued growth in demand, which is attracting both emerging managers and established global entities to expand into the UAE.
The UAE’ s world-leading regulatory framework provides a strong foundation for regulated entities in particular. Abacus will continue its close collaboration with regulators, while the sharing of valuable threat intelligence will be strengthened through the company’ s advanced global cybersecurity capabilities, including incident response and red teaming.
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