Sharjah embraces digital future with Sahab Smart Solutions

Amin Al-Zarouni, CEO of Sahab Smart Solutions
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Updated 17 February 2021
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Sharjah embraces digital future with Sahab Smart Solutions

Sharjah, whose development goals have always been human-centric and environmentally responsible, is a leading example of a smart, digital city in the making.

Following a decree from Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al-Qasimi, crown prince and deputy ruler of Sharjah, in 2017 to form the emirate’s first Higher Digital Transformation Committee, the emirate has been focused on exploring, developing, and implementing leading digital solutions to streamline services to citizens, residents and visitors across Sharjah. 

Founded in 2018 by the Sharjah Asset Management Holding, Sahab Smart Solutions is the trusted technology partner of the government of Sharjah and is today spearheading the digital transformation journey of the emirate as part of the UAE’s wider national economic development and diversification efforts.

Sahab Smart Solutions partners with Sharjah government entities to help shape the emirate’s digitally powered future and execute projects to accelerate the development of its smart city solutions. 

This digital transformation of Sharjah is coming not a moment too soon. Even before the COVID-19 crisis hit, businesses worldwide were realizing that traditional business models were becoming unviable, given the rate of digital disruption. The pandemic just put this scenario on fast-forward mode. 

“Companies that were able to digitize and pivot are the ones leading the way out of this crisis, grabbing market share, and setting the pace for others. But simply rushing into it is not the answer,” said Amin Al-Zarouni, CEO, Sahab Smart Solutions: “It is only by investing in the tech, data, processes and people, will companies rise up to speed. They need to take the right decisions and be agile in applying course corrections based on what they learn.”

An on-going project which Sahab was recently entrusted with by the Sharjah government, entails the conception and development of a world-class digital platform for the Sharjah government, which will bring a wide range of business and public services offered by the emirate on a unified, easily navigable and user-friendly application.

Sahab is also in the process of developing of the emirate’s first e-commerce platform for Souq Al-Jubail, one of the emirate’s largest fresh produce market, which will bring together the largest B2B and B2C suppliers of food products to present the widest choices from a variety, scale, cost, and volume perspective, for residents as well as bulk buyers in the emirate.


ITC Infotech accelerates Vision 2030 through digital hub in Riyadh

Updated 17 January 2026
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ITC Infotech accelerates Vision 2030 through digital hub in Riyadh

ITC Infotech’s commitment to delivering real digital change in the Middle East is reinforced by strengthening collaboration and working more closely with customers on the ground. The establishment of its Digital and AI Engineering Hub in Riyadh brings superior digital engineering and AI skills closer to businesses, allowing for speedier collaboration, localized innovation, and solutions targeted to regional needs. This strategic expansion aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and underscores ITC Infotech’s long-standing emphasis on partnership-led growth and customer-centric innovation.

The hub was officially inaugurated on Jan. 15 by Sanjiv Puri, chairman and managing director of ITC Ltd. This facility is designed to help enterprises leverage advanced technologies and convert digital ambitions into measurable business outcomes. This move aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to build a knowledge-driven economy powered by innovation and technology.

Saudi Arabia’s digital leap

Vision 2030 is more than just economic diversification; it is a clear blueprint for creating a technologically advanced society. This vision is centered on the integration of artificial intelligence and digital engineering, which are transforming industries and enabling long-term, sustainable growth. The strategic importance of AI is clear, with the Saudi Data and AI Authority estimating that it may add $135 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP by 2030. This commitment is supported by significant investments, including $14.9 billion announced at LEAP 2025 to advance digital infrastructure, talent, and next-generation technologies, as well as historic projects like the $2.7 billion Hexagon Data Center in Riyadh. Together, these efforts are laying the foundation for a secure, resilient, and future-ready digital ecosystem that can support AI adoption, data-driven governance, and smart city development at scale.

What the hub offers

ITC Infotech’s Riyadh hub is designed to fuel this momentum by focusing on three core areas:

  • AI-powered platforms: Delivering predictive analytics, intelligent automation, and data-driven insights to help businesses transition from reactive operations to proactive strategies.
  • Digital engineering solutions: Leveraging Industry 4.0-driven smart manufacturing capabilities, integrating AI-led modeling, connected systems, and advanced analytics to optimize production performance, improve asset utilization, and proactively reduce operational and quality risks across the engineering lifecycle.
  • Cloud-native architectures: Building agile, secure, and resilient ecosystems that enable faster innovation and seamless integration across enterprise systems.

These capabilities are designed to enable organizations to innovate, scale, and compete in a rapidly evolving digital economy. Beyond technology, the hub is fundamentally anchored in building a team of the region, from the region, for the region and for global impact. Through structured skill-building programs, deep partnerships with academia, systematic knowledge transfer, and immersive, hands-on delivery models, the hub is creating a future-ready Saudi workforce fully aligned with Vision 2030 and capable of serving both national and international priorities.

Driving enterprise transformation 

The ITC Infotech hub aims to enable transformation rather than simply deploy technology. By driving AI adoption, accelerating digital engineering, and building cloud-native ecosystems, ITC Infotech seeks to help businesses:

  • develop new business models to meet evolving market needs.
  • improve operational efficiency through predictive insights and automation.
  • support sustainability goals by optimizing resources and reducing risks.
  • build a skilled local workforce capable of leading future innovations.

These outcomes support enterprises as they transition to more resilient, data-driven, and digitally mature operating models.

The road ahead

ITC Infotech is a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Limited, one of India’s largest conglomerates, with over 25 years of experience as a trusted technology services partner to enterprises globally. The company focuses on next-generation enterprise transformation, delivering services across infrastructure and application modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, digital engineering, and AI-led innovation.

As Saudi Arabia continues its digital journey, ITC Infotech’s combination of global expertise, strong local presence, and collaborative delivery model positions it as a long-term partner in advancing Vision 2030. ITC Infotech’s hub in Riyadh reflects this commitment, bringing advanced capabilities closer to customers, investing in local talent, and enabling enterprises to adopt AI at scale as they compete in an increasingly digital world.