USD 10 million investment at Equinix reinforces data sovereignty, regional leadership presence, and long-term growth strategy
Zoho Corp has strengthened its Middle East expansion strategy with the launch of new data centers in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, supported by an investment of USD 10 million. The infrastructure, hosted at Equinix’s carrier-neutral data centers, is designed to deliver secure, compliant, and high-performance cloud services to customers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider GCC.
The new facilities will enable local data residency, reduced latency, and enhanced reliability for Zoho’s portfolio of cloud-based business, IT management, and security applications. With regulatory requirements around data protection becoming increasingly stringent across the region, the move positions Zoho as a trusted long-term technology partner for enterprises and government organizations alike.
“Data localization and reliability are no longer optional—they are foundational to digital trust,” said Rajesh Ganesan, CEO, ManageEngine. “Zoho’s investment in regional data centers reflects a deep understanding of enterprise priorities in the Middle East and reinforces its commitment to delivering secure, scalable, and regulation-ready cloud solutions.”
Beyond infrastructure, Zoho is also strengthening its human and leadership presence in the region. Shailesh Davey, Co-Founder & CEO of Zoho Corp, highlighted that senior leadership responsible for the Middle East operations will be relocating to the UAE, ensuring closer engagement with customers, partners, and policymakers. As the company’s footprint and customer engagement grow, Zoho also plans to gradually move select developers to the region to support localized innovation and faster responsiveness.
“The Middle East is a strategic growth market for us, not just from a customer standpoint but also in terms of long-term ecosystem development,” Davey said. “Establishing local leadership and eventually bringing in engineering talent will help us build solutions that are deeply aligned with regional business and regulatory needs.”
Echoing this sentiment, Hyther Nizam, President – Zoho Middle East & Africa, emphasized that the expansion is rooted in customer trust and proximity. “Our customers in the Middle East are asking for more than just cloud services—they want assurance, accountability, and a partner who is present in the region,” he said. “By investing in local data centers hosted at Equinix and expanding our leadership presence on the ground, Zoho is ensuring that customer data stays within national borders while benefiting from global-grade infrastructure and resilience.”
The Equinix-hosted facilities provide Zoho with access to a rich ecosystem of network providers and cloud platforms, enabling seamless interconnection while maintaining high levels of availability and security. This hybrid advantage allows Zoho to scale its services efficiently without compromising on compliance or performance.
As digital transformation accelerates across sectors such as banking, government, healthcare, and retail, Zoho’s regional investments underscore its intent to support the Middle East’s evolving digital economy with sovereign cloud capabilities, local expertise, and long-term commitment.
