Cloud use case · Innovate
Cloud data analyticsand BI
One trusted set of numbers for sales, finance and operations, refreshed automatically, instead of a monthly Excel marathon.
Plan your first dashboard
Tell us where your figures live today. We reply with a first dashboard and a licence plan.
Licence fit: Pick a viewer count to see the usual licence fit.
Why companies ask us to build their data platform
Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Workand Google Cloud Premier Partner, so both BigQuery and Fabric are on the table.
Since 2007with 1,500+ active cloud customers across the Middle East.
Offices in Dubai, Muscat (head office) and Dohaserving all six GCC countries.
350,000+ users migrated
Works with
Cloud data analytics means pulling data from your ERP, CRM, e-commerce and spreadsheets into one cloud data warehouse, such as Google BigQuery or Microsoft Fabric, and reporting on it in tools like Power BI, Looker Studio or Zoho Analytics. Gulf Infotech, in the Middle East since 2007, designs and builds these platforms in GCC cloud regions.
What problem does cloud analytics solve?
What buyers tell us:
The fix is a single place where data from every system lands, gets cleaned once, and feeds every report. Reports then agree, refresh on a schedule and stop loading the systems people work in.
- "Finance builds the board report from three systems and it takes a week every month."
- "Sales and finance quote different revenue numbers in the same meeting."
- "Our Power BI reports connect straight to the ERP and slow it down."
- "We have five years of history but nobody can query it."
Branch
Period
Currency
Revenue
7.51MOMR
▲ 1.5% vs target
Gross margin
30.7%
▲ 0.2% vs target
Orders
343.7K
▲ 2.1% vs target
Avg. basket
21.9OMR
▲ 1.1% vs target
Revenue and target by month
RevenueTarget
Revenue by branch
Revenue by branch
- Muscat1.64M
- Salalah576K
- Dubai1.92M
- Abu Dhabi1.08M
- Doha881K
- Riyadh1.41M
Revenue by category
- Electronics33%
- Home23%
- Grocery24%
- Fashion19%
What does Gulf Infotech do?
Assess
we list your data sources, the reports people actually use, and the ten numbers management argues about.
Design
we pick BigQuery or Fabric and the region, design the data model once (customers, products, branches, dates), and plan refresh schedules and row-level security.
Connect
we connect your ERP data, such as Zoho Books or Dynamics, and any other system that has an open API or an available connector.
Report
we implement Power BI, Looker Studio or Zoho Analytics on top, whichever fits your team.
Migrate and build
we build pipelines from each source, load history, rebuild key reports on the warehouse and reconcile totals with finance.
Run
we monitor pipelines and capacity, add new sources and reports, and train report builders. See Power BI.
Who is it for?
| Profile | Fit |
|---|---|
| Groups with several companies or branches on different systems | FitStrong fit: one consolidated view |
| Retail, e-commerce and distribution with daily sales data | FitStrong fit: stock, margin and sales by store or channel |
| Manufacturing and trading on an ERP plus spreadsheets | FitStrong fit: cost, orders and cash flow |
| Companies already on Power BI that hit performance limits | FitFit: move the heavy lifting into a warehouse |
| One system, a few reports | FitUsually Power BI or the system's own reports are enough. See Power BI |
Which analytics options are there in GCC regions?
Checked against each provider's region documentation in October 2026.
| Provider | Data warehouse and BI | GCC regions | How it is billed | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Data warehouse and BIMicrosoft Fabric (lakehouse, warehouse, pipelines) and Power BI | GCC regionsUAE North: Power BI and all Fabric workloads. UAE Central and Qatar Central: Power BI only | How it is billedFabric F capacity, billed per second with no commitment, or with a yearly reservation. Power BI Pro or Premium Per User licences per person | What to knowBelow an F64 capacity, everyone who views reports needs a Pro or PPU licence; from F64, free users with viewer rights can view |
| Huawei Cloud | Data warehouse and BIData warehouse service | GCC regionsRiyadh; Abu Dhabi (UAE) upcoming. | How it is billedAsk us | What to knowFor Saudi data that must stay on Huawei Cloud in the Kingdom |
| Google Cloud | Data warehouse and BIBigQuery, with Looker Studio or Power BI on top | GCC regionsDoha (me-central1), Dammam (me-central2) | How it is billedOn-demand (per data processed by queries) or capacity-based with reservations | What to knowSaudi customers buy from Gulf Infotech. Feature support varies by region |
| AWS | Data warehouse and BIAmazon Redshift, QuickSight | GCC regionsme-central-1 (UAE), me-south-1 (Bahrain). | How it is billedAsk us | What to knowFits companies whose applications already run on AWS |
Takeaway: for Qatar or Saudi data, BigQuery has in-country regions; for UAE data with a Microsoft 365 company, Fabric in UAE North keeps everything in one tenant.
Which option should you pick?
Comparing BI tools as well? See Power BI vs Tableau vs Zoho Analytics.
| Option | Best when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| BigQuery in Doha or Dammam | Best whenData must stay in Qatar or Saudi Arabia, or you use Google Workspace and Google Cloud | Trade-offPower BI on top means two vendors to manage |
| Microsoft Fabric in UAE North | Best whenYou run Microsoft 365 and Power BI and want one Microsoft platform in the UAE | Trade-offQatar Central and UAE Central are Power BI only, with no full Fabric workloads |
| Power BI alone (no warehouse) | Best whenOne or two sources and modest data volumes | Trade-offReports load the source systems and logic gets duplicated |
| Amazon Redshift | Best whenYour applications and data already live on AWS | Trade-offNo Qatar region; confirm services in the UAE region |
| Huawei Cloud data warehouse in Riyadh | Best whenSaudi in-Kingdom requirement on Huawei Cloud | Trade-offConfirm service and BI tool support first |
How is cloud analytics priced?
Analytics costs come in two parts: the warehouse that stores and processes data, and the licences for people who build and view reports.
The usual cost mistake is a dashboard that re-scans the whole history every time someone opens it. We design tables and refreshes so queries read only what they need.
- BigQuery charges for storage and for queries, either on-demand by data processed or through capacity reservations for predictable monthly spend.
- Fabric charges for the capacity size you run, per second or reserved for a year. Small capacities still need a Pro or PPU licence for each report viewer; large ones (F64 and above) let free users view.
- Power BI licences are per user per month. See Microsoft 365 pricing for how we quote Microsoft subscriptions.
What are the typical steps?
Pick the first question
for example monthly sales and margin by branch.
Connect sources
the two or three systems that answer it.
Model
one definition of customer, product, branch and date.
Build reports
rebuild the most-used report on the warehouse.
Reconcile
finance signs off the totals.
Extend
add sources and reports in short cycles.
Cloud services in your country
Get one version of the numbers
Tell us which systems you run and which report hurts the most. We will reply with a platform, a region and a first-phase plan.
Frequently asked questions
Which cloud is best for data analytics?
For most GCC companies the choice is BigQuery or Microsoft Fabric. BigQuery fits when data must stay in Qatar or Saudi Arabia, or when you already use Google Cloud. Fabric fits Microsoft 365 companies that report in Power BI and can host in UAE North. AWS Redshift fits companies whose applications already run on AWS.
Can the data stay in my country?
In Qatar and Saudi Arabia, yes, with BigQuery in Doha or Dammam. In the UAE, yes, with Microsoft Fabric in UAE North, which runs all Fabric workloads; Qatar Central and UAE Central support Power BI only. Oman and Kuwait have no in-country region from the major providers, so data sits in a neighbouring GCC region.
How much does cloud analytics cost per month?
It depends on data volume, query patterns and the number of report users. BigQuery bills storage plus queries, on-demand or reserved. Fabric bills a capacity size, and below F64 every report viewer needs a Power BI Pro or PPU licence. We estimate a monthly cost from your sources and user count before you commit.
How long does it take to set up?
The first useful report usually depends on how clean the source data is, not on the platform. We start with one business question and two or three sources, reconcile the numbers with finance, then add more. Data with years of history and messy product or customer codes takes longer to model.
Do we need a data warehouse if we already have Power BI?
Not always. With one or two sources and modest volumes, Power BI on its own works well. A warehouse pays off when you combine several systems, keep years of history, or when reports slow down the ERP. It also keeps business logic in one place instead of copied into every report file.
Can you connect Zoho Books, Dynamics or our ERP?
Yes. We connect ERP data such as Zoho Books and Dynamics, and any system that has an open API or an available connector, through that API, a database connection or scheduled exports. We confirm the connection method for each source during the assessment, including how often data can refresh. For cloud systems such as Zoho Books we check the vendor's API first; older on-premise systems may need a small gateway on your network.