Nextgen, a UK-founded AI transformation firm combining strategy, transformation and AI engineering, has relocated its global headquarters to the United Arab Emirates, placing the company at the centre of one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for business AI adoption.
Founded in 2012, Nextgen brings together more than 75 specialists across five offices supporting over 50 enterprise clients. With 200 AI use cases already in production, the company works with governments and enterprises across complex and highly regulated sectors to turn AI into real-world impact.
The relocation comes as AI adoption among UAE businesses accelerates sharply. New research by Strand Partners, developed in collaboration with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Office and Amazon Web Services (AWS), found that 72% of UAE businesses have adopted AI, up from 53% a year earlier, representing around 36% year-on-year growth. Among businesses already using AI, 85% reported that the technology has accelerated their transformation, while 31% use its most advanced applications.
“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. “That is exactly where we work. We help organisations move AI into production and make sure their people have the skills to use it and benefit from it. Making the UAE our home places us at the heart of that ambition and gives us a base to build AI capability for the region and beyond.”
Since its establishment, Nextgen has expanded from the UK into India and China, building experience across Europe and Asia. Its move to the UAE reflects the country’s long-standing role as a bridge between East and West, and between North and South. From its new base, Nextgen is bringing that cross-market experience to building AI capability in the UAE and beyond.
Nextgen also works across a growing ecosystem of global AI models and enterprise platforms, allowing its teams to select technology based on each business’s requirements, use case, and infrastructure environment. Its approach brings strategy, transformation, and engineering together with the technology required to move AI from experimentation into production, helping enterprises stay relevant and become AI-native.
