Databricks plans to open an office in Abu Dhabi in February 2027, Fortune's Melissa Hancock reported on October 21 in the Gulf Brief newsletter. The formal announcement is expected in December.
What Databricks said
Richard Wylie, regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa, spoke to Hancock at the Frontier Summit. He said: “We view it as a strategic center to serve our UAE business and a key global market,” and added that the company is “very excited to be opening an office here in Abu Dhabi.” A team of more than 60 people covers the region from Europe and will relocate to Abu Dhabi, and Databricks plans to more than double headcount within 12 months.
Customers and growth
Databricks reports hundreds of regional customers but did not disclose an exact number. It is also growing in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Customers span retail, financial services, telecoms and media, energy, aviation, automotive, and government and public sectors, and government is described as a key growth area. Named customers include Al-Futtaim Group, which uses the platform for supply chain optimization and a customer loyalty program, plus Etihad Airways and MBC Shahid.
The global picture
In August, UAE-based MGX jointly led a $5 billion funding round alongside Coatue, Blackstone, T. Rowe Price and Sixth Street Growth. The article's body text and a photo caption give conflicting valuations, $190 billion and $90 billion, so this summary does not repeat either. Databricks says 70% of its clients are Fortune 500 companies and that it has offices in 19 countries across five continents. The article gives no revenue figure.
Elsewhere in the newsletter
The same issue notes that Space42 and Viasat committed $1 billion to Equatys, a satellite-to-device venture scheduled to start in 2029, that Saudi Arabia postponed its Future Investment Initiative until 2027 amid Houthi attacks, and that Dubai is investing $1.4 billion in the Water Gardens financial district, due for completion before the end of 2028.
Source: Fortune. This is an AI Business Watch summary of the original newsletter item.