Page 35 - Red Hat PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2025

Press release

National data protection and sovereignty goals remain priorities on the IT agenda in the country,
with AI adding complexity as another workload that must align to evolving cloud strategies.
Barriers to cloud adoption remain as well, with respondents pointing to limited support from
3
3
leadership (77% agree), unclear ROI (72% agree ), employee resistance to change (69% agree ),
3
3
and lack of skills (69% agree ). Drilling down into cloud sovereignty strategy over the next 18
3
months, UAE respondents are prioritising operational control and autonomy (86% ), securing the
3
software supply chain (81% ), and flexibility and choice of IT suppliers (86% ).
3
Supporting Quotes
Adrian Pickering, regional general manager, MENA, Red Hat:

“Our latest UAE survey reveals a clear truth: while AI investment is surging, realizing tangible
customer value remains a challenge for many organizations. Moving beyond experimentation to
deliver lasting customer value from AI means laying the foundation by integrating enterprise
knowledge with existing systems.”

“The survey’s indication of the rise of 'shadow AI' highlights both a security risk and a powerful
signal of employee innovation. This willingness to explore new tools offers a critical opportunity for
leaders to identify and address skills gaps through targeted training. Ultimately, openness and
common standards are not just ideals; they are essential for maximizing the value of AI and hybrid
cloud investments, fostering collaboration, and driving the flexibility needed for true innovation."

Hans Roth, Senior Vice President & General Manager EMEA, Red Hat:

“Organisations want greater operational control and IT resiliency to adapt in a world of constant
disruption. The survey results, as well as our daily conversations, show sovereignty prominently on
the agenda for enterprise’s ongoing cloud strategies and the budding AI opportunity. Open source is
central to this shift as it provides businesses with the transparency and flexibility to innovate
rapidly without compromise. Red Hat helps enterprises retain choice about where their data lives,
how their infrastructure runs and who they partner with. Sovereignty and resilience come from
ecosystems, not silos, and Red Hat’s mission is to enable any model, any accelerator, and any cloud
– with trust at the heart of it all.”
Additional Resources

• [Hans blog post]
• Learn more about the state of virtualization
Connect with Red Hat

• Learn more about Red Hat
• Get more news in the Red Hat newsroom
• Read the Red Hat blog
• Follow Red Hat on Twitter