The public cloud services (PCS) market in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) is experiencing remarkable growth, with forecasts projecting its value to soar to $415.1 billion by 2028. This growth represents a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.0% from 2023, according to the latest International Data Corporation (IDC) report.
By 2024, revenue is expected to reach $203 billion, fueled by innovations in software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
SaaS will dominate the PCS sector, accounting for 64.4% of the market in 2024. However, its growth is slowing due to market maturity. Meanwhile, PaaS is emerging as the fastest-growing segment, with a projected CAGR of 29.3%. This surge reflects increasing demand for tools that support the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) applications. Moreover, companies are focusing on scalable solutions to keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology.
The growing adoption of AI is a major catalyst for cloud market expansion. Many enterprises are integrating AI-ready infrastructure to drive innovation and optimize operations.
According to IDC EMEA Research Director Manish Ranjan, public cloud providers are essential for enterprises looking to implement GenAI without incurring significant upfront costs. He noted, “Cloud providers allow organizations to deploy AI projects efficiently, making high-performance computing resources more accessible.”
Western Europe continues to lead the PCS market, contributing over 80% of EMEA’s revenue. Countries such as the UK, Germany, and France remain prominent hubs for cloud investments. However, the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are gaining traction, with IaaS adoption accelerating in regions like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Qatar.
Global hyperscalers, including AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle, are expanding aggressively. They are establishing new cloud regions in emerging markets such as Finland, Spain, Kenya, and Kuwait. This expansion reflects the growing demand for robust AI-enabled infrastructure across diverse industries.
As businesses continue to prioritize innovation, the EMEA cloud market’s trajectory underscores its pivotal role in transforming industries and driving digital transformation. The region’s blend of technological innovation and strategic investments positions it as a global powerhouse for public cloud services.
