US based leading MSP and MSSP, Abacus Group has announced the opening of a new office in Dubai, as part of its strategic expansion into the Middle East. The move also represents a significant step in the company’s ambitious international growth plans.
Over the past 18 months, Abacus has been conducting a review of opportunities in the UAE. During that period, the number of its existing clients with a presence in the region has doubled to over 25, and the company is now also engaging with early-stage asset managers that are choosing the country as their first and only location.
This ongoing growth in firms locating or expanding in Dubai and the wider UAE is being driven by the region’s progressive and robust regulatory environment, expanding capital pool, rapid growth in ‘non-oil’ foreign trade and business-friendly environment. Abacus is opening the new office to meet the resulting rise in demand for locally delivered specialist managed IT and cybersecurity services.
The office, Abacus’s first in the Middle East, is located in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) – the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Establishing operations within DIFC places Abacus at the heart of Dubai’s thriving business and technology ecosystem. Working closely with the Centre, Abacus will support financial services firms operating within DIFC to strengthen their IT and cybersecurity resilience, while contributing to its growing financial community.
Tom Cole, Managing Director of EMEA at Abacus Group, said: “Dubai has emerged as a leading destination for the world’s top alternative investment managers, all seeking expertise and presence on the ground backed by global reach and capability. Abacus is uniquely positioned to deliver exactly that. In addition, we provide enterprise-grade IT and cybersecurity support to smaller firms in the city that have previously found it difficult to access the level of premier protection and expertise that we can provide.”
Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, said: “We are delighted to welcome Abacus Group to DIFC. Their decision to establish a presence here reinforces Dubai’s position as a global hub for innovation and resilience, bringing world-class IT and cyber security expertise to support the region’s most dynamic financial institutions. As the leading financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, DIFC provides the ideal platform for forward-thinking firms like Abacus to scale their operations, access new markets and help shape the future of financial services.”
Abacus will be delivering its full suite of managed IT, multi-cloud and cybersecurity services to clients in Dubai and the wider region, including its market-leading abacusFlex platform, specialised emergency incident response, and red team offerings. These capabilities ensure compliance for firms operating under DIFC legal and regulatory frameworks, while also proactively defending clients against cyber threats.
Establishing a physical presence in Dubai will also bring new opportunities both to Abacus’s existing employees and to skilled IT and cybersecurity professionals in the city. As Cole highlighted: “We wanted to build a strong, well-structured base of operations in Dubai, and that meant physical offices on the ground. To demonstrate our commitment, we have relocated some of our top talent with exceptional leadership capabilities from the UK and the US.”
“At the same time,” he added, “with Dubai’s reputation for innovation, comes a rich pool of talent. We look forward to tapping into the next generation of professionals emerging from both the local education system and internationally. Because we are embedded in the market, we can nurture new talent to deliver even greater value to our clients.”
