April 1, 2026 — SAP has rebranded its Emarsys solution to SAP Engagement Cloud, reinforcing its strategy to position customer engagement as a core enterprise capability.
AI-Powered Customer Engagement Surges in the UAE
According to the SAP UAE Engagement Index Report, 76% of UAE businesses plan to invest in AI-powered customer engagement in 2026, while 74% view AI as essential for customer retention.
- 76% plan AI investment in engagement
- 74% see AI as critical for retention
- 66% of consumers report frustration with service experiences
- 47% say companies are slow to use data effectively
SAP Engagement Cloud: Driving Real-Time Personalization
SAP Engagement Cloud connects customer insights with operational execution in real time, enabling businesses to deliver seamless and personalized experiences at scale.
SAP has also been recognized in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Personalization Engines, reinforcing its leadership in customer engagement technology.
Key Capabilities
- AI-driven personalization and insights
- Real-time data activation
- Integration of customer and operational data
- Scalable engagement across multiple channels
Enterprise Edition for Scalable Governance
SAP also introduced SAP Engagement Cloud, enterprise edition, designed for organizations operating across multiple brands, regions, and teams.
This edition provides advanced governance, centralized data control, and content management while allowing localized execution.
Business Benefits
- Centralized control with local flexibility
- Improved compliance and brand consistency
- Faster response to disruptions and operational changes
AI, Automation, and the Rise of Agentic Capabilities
SAP is advancing toward AI systems with agentic capabilities, enabling platforms to act autonomously on data and adapt in real time without manual intervention.
This approach helps businesses deliver consistent, responsive, and personalized engagement while maintaining enterprise-grade governance.
Leadership Perspective
Joanna Milliken, Head of SAP Engagement Cloud, said,
“This approach helps organizations maintain consistency, compliance, and brand standards globally, which is increasingly important in an age of AI decision-making and automation, while also staying responsive to local needs.”
Marwan Zeineddine, Managing Director, SAP UAE, further added,
“Businesses across the region are investing in customer experience, but the data shows that investment alone is not enough.Organizations require solutions that connect insight with action in real time, at scale, and without friction. As AI becomes more autonomous, with agentic capabilities enabling systems to act on data and adapt in the moment, SAP Engagement Cloud supports organizations in delivering consistent, personalized experiences while maintaining the governance and control required for enterprise operations.”
Closing the Customer Engagement Gap
While many businesses believe they are delivering seamless experiences, customer feedback indicates ongoing gaps. SAP aims to bridge this divide by integrating AI, data, and execution into a unified engagement platform.
Existing Emarsys capabilities remain available within SAP Engagement Cloud, allowing organizations to adopt new features gradually based on their readiness.
Read more: Salesforce Report: UAE Marketers Lead in AI Adoption but Face Data Challenges
