Today, cloud infrastructure is firmly establishing itself as an essential foundation for innovation and modernization in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, transforming its digital landscape. According to the EMEA Cloud Business Survey 2023, 68% of Middle Eastern companies plan to migrate most of their operations to the cloud within 2024-2025. Fintech companies have been at the forefront of this transition. McKinsey estimates that fintech revenues in the MENAP region could almost triple, rising from $1.5B billion in 2022 to $3.5 billion-$4.5 billion by 2025, reflecting the sector’s pivotal role in the region’s digital transformation.Why cloud adoption in MENA is more crucial now than ever before?Global trends toward cloud migration continue to accelerate. Garter Research projects that the cloud will be the pervasive style of computing as early as 2027, preceded by the shift towards remote working, the potential for enhanced data analysis and cybersecurity, and the need for more efficient supply chains. However, in the MENA region, cloud adoption is not just influenced by global trends

The financial world is undergoing a fundamental shift. A new report by Ripple, the leading provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) projects the market for tokenized real-world assets to grow from $0.6 trillion today to $18.9 trillion by 2033 ($9.4 trillion by 2030), with a CAGR of 53 percent.Tibor Merey, Managing Director and Partner at BCG explains, “Tokenization is transforming financial assets into programmable, interoperable tools, recorded on shared digital ledgers. This enables 24/7 transactions, fractional ownership, and automated compliance.”The report outlines a “three-phase” evolution:Phase 1: Low-Risk Adoption – Institutions tokenize familiar instruments like money market funds and bonds.Low-Risk Adoption – Institutions tokenize familiar instruments like money market funds and bonds. Phase 2: Institutional Expansion – Scaling into complex assets such as private credit and real estate.Institutional Expansion – Scaling into complex assets such as private credit and real estate. Phase 3: Market Transformation – Tokenization becomes embedded in financial and non-financial products.Early adopters like BlackRock, Fidelity, and JPMorgan are already operational.“The market is transitioning from tokenized assets simply sitting on-chain to integrating into real economic activity,” says Markus Infanger, SVP of RippleX.Key growth enablers:Regulatory clarity in markets like the EU, UAE, Switzerland largely established and also expected soon in the US.Mature tech infrastructure including wallets and custody platforms.Strategic investments by banks and fintech M&A.A “flywheel effect” is driving adoption, where institutional supply and investor demand reinforce each other.Challenges like infrastructure fragmentation and regulatory divergence persist, but collaborative efforts on standards and infrastructure are helping to overcome them.The message is clear: institutions must move beyond pilots. As Bernhard Kronfellner, Partner & Associate Director at BCG, puts it: “Tokenization is no longer just a concept—it’s the foundation for the future of global finance”