Nextgen shifts global headquarters to UAE as AI adoption rises above 70% among businesses

UK-founded AI transformation firm Nextgen has relocated its global headquarters to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as business adoption of artificial intelligence in the country rose to 72%, up from 53% a year earlier.

The relocation comes amid accelerating AI adoption in the UAE. Research by Strand Partners, developed in collaboration with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office and Amazon Web Services (AWS), found that 72% of businesses in the country had adopted AI, representing an increase of 19 percentage points from the previous year.

Among businesses already using AI, 85% said the technology had accelerated their transformation, while 31% reported using its most advanced applications.

Nextgen said the UAE's focus on practical AI deployment aligned with its approach to helping organisations move beyond experimentation and integrate AI into business operations.

“Under the clear vision of its leadership, the UAE has built one of the world’s most compelling environments for AI, with a focus that sets it apart: putting AI to work, not just developing it,” the company said in a statement.

The company added that establishing its global headquarters in the UAE would position it to support AI capability development across the region and beyond, including helping employees develop the skills needed to use AI effectively.

Nextgen has expanded beyond its UK origins into India and China, building experience across European and Asian markets. It said the UAE's position connecting East and West, as well as North and South, made it a suitable base for its next phase of growth.

The company works across global AI models and enterprise platforms, selecting technologies according to clients' business requirements, use cases and infrastructure. Its model combines strategic planning, organisational transformation and engineering to take AI applications from initial trials into production.

The relocation comes as organisations increasingly look to translate AI adoption into measurable business outcomes. For enterprises, this involves not only deploying technology but also integrating it into workflows and developing the workforce capabilities required to use it effectively.