Dubai – Tencent Cloud, the cloud division of global technology giant Tencent, continues to enhance its footprint in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) with its third consecutive showcase at GITEX GLOBAL 2024. This presence emphasizes the company’s commitment to supporting the region’s ambitions for a digital economy.
Demonstrating robust double-digit growth driven by interest in digital transformation from both public and private sectors, Tencent Cloud unveiled two significant milestone projects aimed at propelling local digital transformation during the event.
New Partnership with Balance for Payment Innovations
This year, Tencent Cloud announced a new partnership with Balance, a leading e-wallet provider in Dubai, aimed at revolutionizing the Middle Eastern payment landscape. Balance plans to integrate Tencent Cloud technologies into its payment system, facilitating compliant, secure, and seamless identity authentication for transactions. In the long term, Balance will explore adopting the TCMPP platform within its app, granting users access to a variety of essential services and products through a single interface.
Kartik Tikku, Founder and CEO of Balance, remarked, “Working with Tencent Cloud allows us to enter new markets like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where demand for cloud services is growing. This partnership aligns with our strategy to transform mobile banking in the Middle East through innovative solutions that enhance the digital payment experience.”
Empowering Local Businesses and Gaming Sector Growth
Dan Hu, Vice President of Tencent Cloud International for the Middle East and Africa, expressed confidence in Tencent Cloud’s alignment with local market needs and digital transformation goals. He stated, “Our partnership with Balance showcases our technology’s ability to empower local businesses and government services, creating secure and innovative platforms that enhance users’ daily lives.”
Looking ahead, Tencent Cloud sees significant potential in the gaming sector. The company plans to leverage its successful track record with the Weixin/WeChat ecosystem, which boasts over 1.3 billion monthly active users, to launch a dedicated “MiniGame Platform.” This initiative aims to attract a new demographic of mobile gamers and is expected to play a vital role in driving revenue for gaming businesses in the UAE, where the electronic gaming market is projected to reach nearly US$500 million by 2027.
Additionally, Tencent Cloud’s recent collaboration with PlaysOut, a UAE-based global game technology company, represents a successful entry into the UAE’s gaming market. Through this partnership, PlaysOut will utilize TCMPP to develop a modular and open digital platform for hosting mini programs and mini games, creating a global digital content ecosystem for developers.
Continued Regional Expansion and Global Partnerships
Tencent Cloud’s ambitions in the Middle East are part of a broader strategy to enhance its international business presence. With recent additions to its partner ecosystem in the region, Tencent Cloud currently serves over 10,000 businesses across 30 industries in more than 80 markets globally.
At GITEX GLOBAL 2024, which hosted over 200,000 trade buyers, 65,000 C-level executives, and 6,600 global tech firms from 180 countries, Tencent Cloud’s innovative and dynamic tech ecosystem for Abu Dhabi’s public and private sectors featured applications in Mini Programs, Tencent Real-Time Communication (TRTC), live streaming, and media solutions.
About Tencent Cloud
Tencent Cloud is a leading global cloud provider committed to creating innovative solutions to address real-world challenges and enable digital transformation for smart industries. Leveraging a robust global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud offers stable and secure industry-leading products and services, focusing on sectors such as gaming, media, finance, healthcare, and retail. The company’s mission is to meet the diverse needs of industries worldwide, driving advancement in cloud computing, big data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security.
