SD-WAN consultant in Dubai for Aruba EdgeConnect rollouts and migrations
I design, deploy and migrate SD-WAN for multi-site businesses in the UAE and the GCC, specialising in HPE Aruba EdgeConnect (formerly Silver Peak) and Aruba Orchestrator. My rollouts cover 300+ sites for a regional retail group and 100+ sites for a government-owned holding company, including EdgeConnect running in Microsoft Azure.
Who this is for
- Retail and branch businesses running tens or hundreds of sites
- Companies moving off MPLS-only or firewall-based WANs
- Teams that already bought EdgeConnect and need an engineer to deploy it
- Organisations with workloads in Azure that need fast, resilient branch-to-cloud paths
Problems it solves
- Branch links fail over slowly, or not at all, when a circuit drops
- Expensive MPLS carries traffic that broadband could handle
- Business apps compete with everything else on the same link
- Hundreds of sites drift apart because each was configured by hand
- Cutovers are risky because nobody fully trusts the existing configs
What you get
- High-level and low-level design (HLD / LLD) with topology diagrams
- Aruba Orchestrator setup and templates, on-prem or air-gapped
- EdgeHA, VRRP and IP SLA designs for site resilience
- MPLS + internet underlays with Business Intent Overlays (BIOs)
- BGP, OSPF and static routing integrated with your core
- EdgeConnect virtual appliances in Azure with IPSec to HQ and branches
- A cutover runbook per site, with a rollback plan
- Handover documentation and a walkthrough for your team
How an engagement runs
- 1
Assess
Review what is running today: configs, links, sites and the problems you see.
- 2
Design
An HLD and LLD you sign off before anything changes.
- 3
Implement
Changes in planned windows, each with a rollback plan.
- 4
Hand over
Documentation, diagrams and a walkthrough for your team.
Relevant experience
- Rolled out EdgeConnect to 300+ retail sites and 100+ government-holding sites across the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Jordan
- Migrated sites from legacy firewalls and routers to EdgeConnect, analysing existing configs to plan cutovers with minimal downtime
- Deployed EdgeConnect on Microsoft Azure and led a PoC proving fabric tunnels over a private Azure path
- Set up Aruba Orchestrator, including air-gapped licensing
Related projects
- Network · 2024–26 SD-WAN rollout across 300+ retail sites HPE Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN for a regional retail group, rolled out to 300+ sites across the GCC: EdgeHA, MPLS + internet underlays, Business Intent Overlays and BGP/OSPF routing, with legacy firewall/router sites migrated to the new fabric. (Sanitized: client details withheld.)
- Network · 2024–26 SD-WAN for a government-owned holding company EdgeConnect SD-WAN across 100+ sites for a government-owned holding company, in the UAE and the wider region. (Sanitized: client details withheld.)
- Network · 2024–26 EdgeConnect SD-WAN in Microsoft Azure EdgeConnect virtual appliances in Microsoft Azure with IPSec to HQ and branches, plus a proof of concept that ran fabric tunnels over a private Azure path.
Frequently asked questions
What is SD-WAN, in plain terms?
SD-WAN is a software layer that manages all of your site links (MPLS, broadband, 4G/5G) as one network. It steers each application over the best available path, fails over automatically when a link drops, and lets you configure hundreds of sites from one central orchestrator.
Can you migrate our sites from firewalls or routers to SD-WAN without downtime?
Each site needs a short, planned change window. Before cutover I analyse the existing firewall or router configs, map every route and policy to the new design, and agree a rollback plan, so the only interruption is the window itself.
Which SD-WAN platforms do you work with?
My hands-on SD-WAN work is on HPE Aruba EdgeConnect (formerly Silver Peak) with Aruba Orchestrator, and I hold the Cato Certified Associate (SASE) certification. If you run another platform, I will tell you upfront whether I am the right fit.
Can EdgeConnect run in Microsoft Azure?
Yes. EdgeConnect is available as a virtual appliance in Azure and connects to your HQ and branches over IPSec. I have deployed it there and led a proof of concept that ran fabric tunnels over a private Azure path.
Do you work outside Dubai?
Yes. I work on-site anywhere in the UAE and remotely across the GCC, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. My largest SD-WAN rollouts spanned all of those countries plus Jordan.
Ways to work together
- One-off assessment. An audit, survey or review with a written report and a prioritised plan.
- Project. Design and implementation with a fixed scope, dates and handover.
- Remote support retainer. Ongoing help for changes, troubleshooting and questions.
- On-site in the UAE. Surveys, cutovers and installs at your sites across the Emirates.
- Remote across the GCC. Design, configuration and support for sites in KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Page updated November 2026.
Tell me about your project
Book a free 30-minute call on WhatsApp, or send the details and I will reply with next steps.
WhatsApp +971 54 782 9816 · Based in Dubai, working across the UAE and GCC