Inside Mindware’s 2026 Playbook: Scaling AI, Cloud, and Digital Resilience Across MEA

As AI moves from experimentation to large-scale deployment and cloud becomes the foundation of regional digital transformation, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for the MEA technology landscape. In this joint interview, Toni Azzi, Vice President – Qatar, Africa and Levant; Nicholas Argyrides, Vice President – Gulf & East Africa; and Mostafa Kabel, CTO & GM Solutions at Mindware share how the company is using platform-led innovation, ecosystem collaboration, and a strong focus on digital sovereignty to help partners and enterprises build resilient, future-ready digital foundations across the region.

What opportunities do you foresee for 2026, and how do you plan to leverage them?
Toni Azzi: For Mindware, 2026 represents a pivotal year defined by the convergence of three powerful forces: the operationalization of AI, the acceleration of multi-cloud strategies, and the modernization of digital infrastructure across our home markets in the Middle East and Africa. Across the region, we are witnessing a fundamental shift from AI experimentation to scaled execution.

AI is no longer a theoretical concept; it is becoming deeply embedded in core business functions, from customer engagement and cybersecurity to strategic decision-making. This transition presents a significant opportunity for a leading value-added distributor like Mindware to elevate our role in the technology ecosystem.

To capitalize on these trends, our 2026 strategy is built on three core pillars:

1. Scaling Intelligent Solutions with MAGIC: We will aggressively expand our AI, data, and automation portfolio, focusing on practical, industry-specific use cases for government, finance, retail, and telecom. The cornerstone of this strategy is MAGIC (Mindware’s Aggregation Gateway for Innovation and Collaboration)—our proprietary AI-powered platform. MAGIC empowers our 7,500+ partners to design and propose complex, multi-vendor solutions in minutes, translating cutting-edge innovation from partners like Nvidia, Dell, and IBM into measurable business outcomes for their customers.
2. Deepening Ecosystem Collaboration: Our growth is intrinsically linked to the success of our ecosystem. In 2026, we will deepen our collaboration with vendors, system integrators, ISVs, and startups by investing heavily in enablement and skill development through initiatives like the Mindware Academy. By leveraging our extensive network and the expertise of our 70+ solutions consultants, we will foster co-creation models that enable our partners to differentiate their offerings and scale rapidly within their respective markets.
3. Driving Regional Digital Sovereignty and Resilience: Many markets in our region are leapfrogging legacy technology models, creating a unique opportunity to build next-generation digital economies. We are strategically positioned to lead this charge by championing cloud-first, cybersecurity-by-design, and digital government initiatives. Our expanding physical presence and robust supply chain across 13 countries enable us to align with national transformation agendas, ensuring our partners can deliver resilient, secure, and sovereign-capable solutions.

Ultimately, our ambition for 2026 is to solidify Mindware’s position as the region’s premier digital transformation catalyst. By combining our world-class technology portfolio, deep-rooted regional expertise, and execution excellence—all amplified through innovative platforms like MAGIC—we will empower our customers and partners to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

What will be your primary focus areas and strategic priorities for 2026?
Nicholas Argyrides: Our top three priorities for 2026 are:

1. To solidify our AI relevance with vendors and partners: We aim to strengthen our positioning as the trusted AI enabler by bridging vendors and channel partners through seamless collaboration. At the heart of this effort lies MAGIC, which will drive innovation, integration, and co-creation. By leveraging MAGIC, we will ensure our ecosystem remains future-ready and aligned with the evolving regional AI landscape.
2. To defend and grow our Gulf channel partner business: Our loyal Gulf partners remain the cornerstone of our success, and we will safeguard their trust through impactful programs and targeted schemes. By introducing innovative incentives, strengthening enablement initiatives, and enhancing partner engagement, we will reinforce our leadership in the region. This dual focus on defence and growth ensures sustainable value creation for both Mindware and its strategic clientele in 2026.
3. To keep building our East Africa momentum: East Africa continues to be our fastest-growing geography, with strong demand and a robust pipeline established in 2025 when our East Africa operation was launched. In 2026, we will accelerate this momentum by deepening market penetration, expanding partnerships, and delivering tailored solutions that meet regional needs. This growth trajectory will play a pivotal role in achieving our overall aspirations for the year.

How is your company approaching sustainability, digital transformation, or AI adoption in preparation for 2026?
Mostafa Kabel: As organizations across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) prepare for 2026, sustainability, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence are no longer optional initiatives, they are core requirements for resilience, scalability, and long-term competitiveness. At Mindware, our approach is built on aligning these three pillars into a single, integrated strategy focused on measurable business outcomes and regional realities.

Sustainability at Mindware is embedded into how technology is designed, deployed, and operated. Rather than treating sustainability as a standalone initiative, we focus on operational efficiency, optimized infrastructure utilization, and responsible adoption of modern architectures. In the MEA region, where energy costs, infrastructure maturity, and regulatory environments vary significantly, sustainability means making informed and localized technology decisions. This includes promoting hybrid and cloud-based models, enabling energy-efficient data center designs, and helping organizations right-size platforms while extending asset lifecycles and reducing overall environmental impact.

Digital transformation is approached as a fundamental shift in operating models, not simply a technology refresh. Mindware is moving away from fragmented, manual processes toward integrated, platform-driven ecosystems that improve visibility, speed, and consistency across partners, customers, and internal teams. Automation plays a critical role in this transformation, particularly across presales, services delivery, and operational workflows. To support this evolution, Mindware has developed MAGIC as a digital platform that enables ecosystem engagement, workflow automation, and data-driven decision-making, helping transition from transactional distribution toward a scalable, platform-led model.

Cloud is a foundational pillar of our digital strategy. Mindware is uniquely positioned in the MEA market as the only distribution organization with active partnerships across all major global cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This multi-cloud capability allows us to support customers and partners with flexible, workload-appropriate cloud strategies—whether public, hybrid, or multi-cloud, while addressing data residency, performance, cost optimization, and regulatory requirements specific to the MEA region.

AI adoption at Mindware is treated as a core capability embedded across platforms and operations, rather than a standalone solution. We focus on applied AI use cases that deliver tangible value, including intelligent analytics, advisory systems, automation of repetitive processes, and enhanced engagement models. Within MAGIC, AI acts as an intelligence layer, supporting recommendation engines, contextual insights, and automation workflows that improve decision-making and execution efficiency across the ecosystem. Alongside this, we continue to invest in AI readiness through skills development, governance frameworks, and responsible AI practices to ensure scalability, security, and trust.

Preparing for 2026 requires building technology foundations that are adaptable, data-driven, and resilient. By aligning sustainability, digital transformation, cloud, and AI within a unified strategy, Mindware is positioning itself – and its ecosystem – to respond effectively to change while enabling sustainable growth across MEA. This integrated approach allows us to support partners and customers with scalable innovation, stronger digital platforms, and responsible technology adoption, ensuring long-term relevance in an increasingly intelligent digital economy.