\n\tRIYADH: Amazon Web Services and IBM Consulting are set to fast-track cloud adoption in Saudi Arabia, with new investments and partnerships designed to accelerate digital transformation, strengthen cybersecurity and support the Kingdom\u2019s Vision 2030 goals.<\/p>\n
\n\tAs part of the collaboration, the companies said they will work to bolster local talent, explore the establishment of a joint innovation hub in Riyadh and support national sustainability goals.<\/p>\n
\n\tSpeaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the AWS Cloud Day event in Riyadh, Tanuja Randery, managing director of AWS, said that the company\u2019s Saudi cloud region will go live in 2026 as part of a $5 billion investment in data center infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe are deeply anchored here in this region \u2026 we\u2019ve announced that our Saudi region will go live in 2026, and that is about a 5 billion dollar investment that we\u2019re making just purely in the data center infrastructure that supports the innovation that we see,\u201d Randery told Arab News.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe added: \u201cWe\u2019re doing that because our customers in the region need public cloud infrastructure to be able to scale, to be able to have a more resilient infrastructure and more secure infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tRandery pointed to Saudi Arabia\u2019s fast-growing cloud market, estimated at nearly $11 billion and expanding at 26 percent.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis region has a very, very bold vision, bold investments,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe cited AWS\u2019s joint report, which estimated that cloud and AI could contribute more than $700 billion to the Middle East economy by 2033.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhenever we do investments in our regions, we see absolutely economic value impact being created,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\tRandery also underlined the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across the Kingdom. \u201cIt\u2019s early days of AI \u2014 it is changing everything. The speed and acceleration we\u2019re seeing is phenomenal. I anticipate that we\u2019re going to see these numbers go upwards,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe highlighted key sectors already embracing digital solutions, including banking, media and gaming.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHere we are working with Savvy Games to strengthen the gaming technology infrastructure, invest in gaming startups, and provide training and skills so they can use the technology,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn sustainability, Randery said: \u201cWhen people ask me, how do I become more sustainable, the one thing I always say is move to the cloud. AWS cloud is up to four times more efficient than your average data center environment.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThat means when you move workloads from an on-premise data center towards AWS cloud, you can reduce your carbon emissions by upwards of 90 percent. We are very deeply committed, our global operations are powered by 100 percent matched renewable energy,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\n\tRandery added that AI will play a key role in helping customers monitor and reduce emissions. \u201cAI is going to be key because the data and insights we can provide to measure and monitor carbon footprint will be much easier with AI,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\tShe noted how Saudi Arabia\u2019s national AI champion, HUMAIN, plans to establish a first-of-its-kind AI and machine learning zone in the region. \u201cThis will be connected to our broader data center infrastructure coming in 2026,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis way, we are going to be able to accelerate the adoption of AI among both government and commercial organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAlongside AWS\u2019s expansion, IBM Consulting announced a strategic collaboration with AWS to explore establishing the first IBM-AWS innovation hub in Riyadh, designed to co-create solutions in areas such as oil and gas analytics, contact center intelligence and smart government.<\/p>\n
\n\tKhaled Al-Ofaysan, country head and managing partner for IBM Consulting in Saudi Arabia, said the collaboration would accelerate cloud services consumption while supporting local skills development.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis will increase the consumption of cloud services in the Kingdom and also enable and accelerate the digital transformation across different sectors in the kingdom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\tAl-Ofaysan underlined that upskilling Saudi nationals is a critical part of the initiative. \u201cIt will look into the people, how can we upskill the future human capital in the Kingdom? What would joint educational initiatives look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHe added that the collaboration would also provide a platform for innovation. \u201cIt\u2019s another great opportunity where clients and partners can come together in one unique environment to showcase cutting-edge technology and gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Kingdom\u2019s public sector is expected to be among the main beneficiaries. \u201cThe public sector is going through a huge transformation led by the Digital Government Authority and all of the mandates on ministries and authorities to expedite their transformation to cloud services, followed by the private sector, oil and gas, and healthcare,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\tIBM has launched several initiatives to prepare Saudi talent for the next phase of digital transformation, including Al Baha Delivery Center, which trains specialists in emerging technologies while building capacity for the local market.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThese initiatives will first fulfill the demand in the Kingdom but also have the potential to serve the wider Middle East,\u201d Al-Ofaysan said, pointing to a strategic initiative with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to upskill more than 100,000 people.<\/p>\n
\n\tHe added that IBM\u2019s position as both a consulting firm and a technology company gives it a distinctive role in the Kingdom\u2019s transformation. \u201cWe invest heavily in R&D, which is why you will see we are more advanced when it comes to creating our own assets and bringing the next generation of digital workforces into action.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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