Ahmed El Sayed, Regional Channel Manager, MEA at HPE, explains that at GITEX 2025, HPE is showcasing AI-native networking, hybrid cloud, and a unified partner program—empowering channel partners with hands-on demos, enablement tools, and scalable solutions tailored to the Middle East’s digital transformation.
What are HPE’s key priorities for participating in GITEX this year, and how does the event support your growth strategy in the UAE and broader Middle East region?
GITEX has been a fantastic platform that helps us to showcase our latest and greatest technologies in AI, Networking and Hybrid cloud. It provides us with an opportunity to engage directly with our partners and customers, sharing our solutions. It allows us to exchange ideas, discuss regional trends and growth opportunities, and share insights on the latest developments within the business and the portfolio.
This includes exciting developments, such as the unification of our partner program and the creation of the new HPE Networking, which combines the leading portfolios of HPE Aruba Networking and HPE Juniper Networking.
How is HPE evolving its channel program to better support partners in delivering next-generation networking and edge-to-cloud solutions across the region?
Earlier this year HPE announced a single, unified partner program consolidating existing programs to enhance partner experiences across the entire HPE portfolio. All programs will combine under HPE Partner Ready Vantage, including HPE Partner Ready and HPE Partner Ready for Networking, to offer simplified enrollment, flexible participation, and comprehensive support through various program tracks.
Can you highlight any new initiatives or tools being introduced at GITEX to empower HPE’s channel partners and enhance their go-to-market capabilities?
At GITEX, we are empowering our partners through several key initiatives. Our stand will feature an executive briefing center for discussions with their customers and our leadership. We are offering dedicated, hands-on demonstrations of our integrated AI-native networking solutions, allowing partners and their customers to see the technology in action. Furthermore, we will be hosting partner-specific enablement sessions on our stand, providing them with the go-to-market tools and messaging needed to capitalize on the opportunities presented by our newly expanded portfolio.
You’ve talked a lot about AI. What can we expect to see at the HPE stand during GITEX?
AI drives market opportunities and that of course, also applies for our channel partners. While AI is one of the three key pillars of HPE’s stand this year, showcasing highlight examples of our portfolio in high-performance computing and AI factories, you will also find it spanning across the other pillars, Networking and Hybrid Cloud. Especially in networking visitors will see two key focus areas: AI for Networking and Networking for AI.
With the networking industry undergoing rapid transformation, how is HPE helping partners stay ahead—particularly in areas like AI-driven infrastructure, secure connectivity, and hybrid cloud?
AI workloads have been the most intense that we’ve seen in our lifetime and the role of the networking business cannot be overstated. After all, the successful and efficient generation, transmission, and training of those AI models and applications and the ability to transform data into intelligent insights and actions, are entirely dependent on the ability of the network technology.
It’s important to empower our partners with the best technologies and at the same time, provide them with the right enablement and partner program and platforms. These help them to not just become experts on HPE solutions, but to increase their profitability by creating their own value-added offerings based on them, meaning we can both grow our individual businesses together. Lastly, we offer robust financial incentives and joint investment opportunities to help partners build their practices, engage customers, and grow their business profitably with us.
How does HPE collaborate with its channel ecosystem to address the unique needs of enterprise and government clients in the Middle East’s digital transformation journey?
The paradigms are shifting, and our customers are expecting solutions that they can consume in ways that allow their end-users to have access to applications anywhere and anytime, which in turn comes with increased complexity in security, governance and skills.
Enabling our channel partners and providing them with a secure, AI-native networking solution will help them deliver improved business outcomes to their customers, resulting from enhanced automation enabled by AI and machine learning. Network and security teams today are seeing real benefit from AI-powered automation and protection to optimise their operations and improve productivity. Providing our partners with the same knowledge and tools our own sales teams leverage is key, as it helps position themselves as long-term partners to their costumers that support them throughout their IT journey, helping them tackle current and future networking challenges. Especially with the powerful combination of HPE Aruba Networking and HPE Juniper Networking, partners will be able to provide customers of all sizes with the modern networking architecture to manage and simplify increasingly complex connectivity needs.
What role does GITEX play in strengthening HPE’s partner relationships, showcasing innovation, and driving momentum in the networking and infrastructure space?
We have always participated in GITEX, and I think it’s an excellent platform that brings vendors, partners and customers together. It creates a fantastic opportunity for our partners to see our greatest innovations firsthand and even invite their customers to witness these proof-of-concepts and latest AI-enabled networking solutions. At the same time, GITEX is an great opportunity for our global and regional executives come to visit, giving them the ability to hear feedback directly from our channel partners and our customers. This year we will even have Phill Mottram attending, who was just named Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, effective November 1, 2025.
