Combining Modernisation Services and Custom AI Training to Support Both Legacy Upgrades and Greenfield AI Platforms
Bell Integration, a global leader in AI transformation, IT modernisation, and enterprise data services has announced an expansion of its AI and data enablement portfolio in the United Arab Emirates, further strengthening its ongoing collaboration with Starburst.
The enhanced offering brings together Bell Integration’s data modernisation services with Starburst-powered open data lakehouse, designed to support both the upgrade of legacy analytics platforms such as Hadoop data lakes using Hive and Spark, as well as the creation of new, cloud-native AI and data platforms.
UAE organisations need more than just a new toolset, they need a partner that can deliver working solutions and leave behind strong internal capability,”
— Faisal Abbasi – AI & Data Executive Director at Bell Integration
This deepened collaboration underlines Bell Integration’s commitment to helping organisations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, across the UAE and the entire region, achieve faster query performance, richer data access, and scalable AI capabilities through a combination of expert services and tailored skills development.
End-to-End Enablement for Modernisation and New AI Initiatives
As UAE enterprises move from AI experimentation to large-scale deployment, many face a dual challenge:
1. Modernising existing Hadoop-based environments that were never designed for today’s AI workloads, and
2. Standing up new, AI-ready data platforms that can support real-time analytics, large language models, and advanced automation.
Bell Integration addresses both through a fully integrated enablement approach that blends consulting, implementation, optimisation, and team upskilling around Starburst technologies.
On the services side, Bell Integration provides the following.
• Assessments and roadmap development for modernising Hadoop, Hive, and Spark estates
• Architecture and design of Starburst-centred analytics and AI platforms
• Implementation, migration, and integration with cloud, on-prem, and SaaS data sources
• Performance tuning, governance, security hardening, and cost optimisation
• Ongoing support and managed services for production environments
Alongside this, Bell’s AI Training Academy delivers customised Starburst-centric training for technical, data, and business stakeholders, ensuring that in-house teams can operate, extend, and continuously improve the platforms Bell helps them build.
“UAE organisations need more than just a new toolset, they need a partner that can deliver working solutions and leave behind strong internal capability,” said Faisal Abbasi – AI & Data Executive Director at Bell Integration. “By combining our modernisation services with tailored Starburst solutions and AI training, we’re enabling customers to upgrade legacy environments and build new AI-ready platforms, while ensuring their teams are confident and self-sufficient.”
Customised AI and Starburst Training Integrated with Delivery
Bell Integration’s expanded training portfolio is designed to complement project delivery, not sit beside it. Programmes are tailored to each organisation and aligned to the phases of its modernisation or greenfield initiatives. Offerings include the following.
• Modernisation readiness workshops
Helping teams understand how to transition from Hadoop/Hive/Spark to a Starburst-centred architecture without disrupting critical workloads.
• Starburst for AI and advanced analytics
Detailed guidance on using Starburst to accelerate AI use cases, including model training, feature engineering, and real-time inference across distributed data.
• Greenfield platform design bootcamps
Collaborative sessions with architects and data teams to design lakehouse-style platforms and federated analytics layers focused on AI scalability and agility.
• Operations, governance and performance clinics
Hands-on labs for platform engineers and operations teams covering monitoring, optimisation, security, and cost management in production environments.
• Executive and product stakeholder enablement
Non-technical sessions to align business leaders on value cases, operating models, and risk considerations for modern data and AI platforms.
Training can be delivered onsite in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, virtually, or in hybrid formats, and is often embedded directly into project delivery milestones so that teams learn on live, relevant use cases.
Fueling the UAE’s AI Ambitions with Platforms and Skills
The UAE has set a clear path to become a world leader in AI and data-driven government and industry. To meet these goals, organisations across financial services, energy, aviation, hospitality, telecommunications, government agencies and more must be able to unlock value from existing data investments while building new AI-native capabilities on modern, flexible platforms.
“Starburst plays a pivotal role in unifying and accelerating data access for AI,” Mr Abbasi added. “Our combined services and training approach ensures UAE organisations can fully exploit that potential, whether upgrading legacy estates, launching greenfield AI platforms, or doing both in parallel.”