Zoho announced its expansion plans at its annual user conference, Zoholics Dubai and as part of its new move, the company will new open offices in KSA, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Nigeria, Kenya and other countries in the region. Zoho will adopt a hub-and-spoke office model in the region, with Dubai acting as the hub for offices in the GCC countries.
The company will hire local professionals, invest in manpower and drive skill-building initiatives. Zoho also intends to forge new partnerships, invest in local business communities, adopt the local culture in its business operations, and support initiatives focused on creating self-reliant regional economies.
Zoho on the occasion of completing 25 years in business and with booming market in the Middle East, the company also plans to open data centers in the region. Zoho, will further localise products, including improved Arabic and Hebrew support, integrating with local payment gateways for smoother transactions, local pricing, and adapting other offerings to support local laws.
“Zoho follows a long-term approach, and therefore, our growth will be rooted in closely working with and serving the local communities, while staying connected through shared knowledge and culture,” said Hyther Nizam, President MEA, Zoho Corp. “We have already taken steps in this direction by increasing our local hirings, and bolstering our partner network. A strong local presence will help us in effectively addressing the needs of local businesses and add a personal touch to our services. We are also actively partnering with organizations and local business networks to lower the access barriers to enterprise technology, and serve customers of all sizes. We have already created strong footprints in the UAE, and want to replicate it in other countries in the region.”
In 2020, despite the pandemic, Zoho has grown more than 30% in the MEA region, and reported a 37% growth in customers in the UAE. It also relocated to a bigger office at Dubai Internet City before the pandemic to accommodate its growing team. Over the last year, Zoho has announced initiatives like ESAP and Vertical Relief Program, launched new products such as Bigin and BackToWork, and added updates to Workplace (its enterprise collaboration suite) to help businesses pivot and adapt to the remote and hybrid work models. Zoho also partnered with Dubai Economy in October 2020 to help local businesses gain access to enterprise-grade technology through subsidies and exclusive support. Around 1000 Dubai businesses have benefited from it.
“Zoho has been built on values and convictions. We do not measure our success in numbers, but the impact we have had on our employees, their families, customers, industry, ecosystem and the local communities,” said Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Co-Founder, Zoho Corp. “Our purpose has been to create opportunities for those who don’t have them, build compelling products for our customers, and serve geographical locations that have not been served before. We want to continue being a catalyst for change, inspiring others and emerging as a top technology leader, all the while serving those whom we impact more broadly and deeply.”
