Google Cloud, in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Qatar Free Zone Authority (QFZ), announced the opening of the Doha cloud region at an official launch event attended by ministers from the Qatari Cabinet and executives from leading Qatari companies. Announced. ).
The new cloud region will meet the growing demand for cloud services in Qatar and the Middle East region and support Qatar’s National Vision 2030, which aims to transform the country into a digital economy through innovation and digital transformation.
According to a study commissioned by Google Cloud and conducted by the Access Partnership, the new Doha cloud region is expected to drive an increase in economic activity, adding a cumulative total economic output of $18.9 billion to the Qatari economy between 2023 and 2030. estimated to contribute to the increase in high Help create 25,000 jobs in 2030 alone.
This new cloud region is Google Cloud’s latest major investment in Qatar, following the recent opening of a national office and virtual center of excellence (CoE) in Mushaleb.
The series of investments in infrastructure and resources demonstrate Google Cloud’s continued commitment to playing a pivotal role in advancing Qatar’s digital future and technological capabilities.
MCIT and the Qatar government have enabled government-wide cloud growth through the introduction of a cloud policy, facilitating Google Cloud’s market entry.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai said: “The launch of the first Google Cloud region in Qatar fits our overarching vision of achieving the desired goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. Digital infrastructure guides us all towards a more efficient economy based on digitization and technology, promotes quality of life and provides convenient solutions for various sectors. and productivity growth, enabling opportunities for various government and private companies and institutions within Qatar to achieve significant efficiency gains by adopting flexible capabilities that are responsive to digital technologies. to.”
Minister of State and Chairman of the Qatar Free Zone Authority (QFZ) His Excellency Ahmad Al Saeed said: “The launch of our new Google Cloud region in Qatar marks an important milestone in the growth of our partnership with Google Cloud, which was launched in 2020. We are establishing a Google Cloud region in Doha. We are proud to offer world-class cloud services from our Free Zone, which deploys disruptive technologies and advanced digital infrastructure to empower enterprises, foster innovation, and advance technology. This is in addition to the QFZ’s key role in creating opportunities for the sector within the state, which will further support Qatar’s digital transformation and the realization of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, which aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy. It will speed up.”
QFZ and Google Cloud announced a strategic partnership agreement in early 2020 to enable domestic deployment of Google Cloud. His continued QFZ support for the launch of the Center of Excellence has contributed to the growth of Qatar’s technology ecosystem.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is excited about the opportunities Google will create in Qatar to create a cloud region that will enable us to innovate jointly with Google and leverage Google’s rich cloud offerings. We are particularly passionate about leveraging AI/ML-driven data insights using Google Cloud as a platform to improve operational efficiency while enhancing our world-renowned customer service. With Google Cloud in Qatar and our data safely residing here, areas like data-driven predictive maintenance become much easier.”
His Excellency Nasser Ghanem Al-Khelaifi, Chairman of beIN Media Group, said: As a proud Qatari media group, we are always looking to innovate as a company and find ways to improve the experience of our millions of subscribers around the world. By partnering with Google Cloud, beIN will help drive the continued digital transformation of the sports, entertainment and media industries both in Qatar and globally. ”
Qatar Financial Center CEO Yousuf Mohammed Al Jaida said: “Our partnership with Google Cloud confirms our shared desire to foster the growth of local businesses by providing opportunities and solutions that enable them to take advantage of the transformative benefits of technology and digitalization. Working with Google in this area will strengthen the support we provide to our customers, especially in the financial services sector, to support Qatar’s transformation into a digital and fintech hub and the country’s sustainable development along the way. We can advance our mission of: in line with the national development plan.”
Ahmed Alfahad, Executive Director of Technology and Network Operations, Al Jazeera Media Network said: “We are delighted to be part of a group of companies leveraging Google Cloud’s new cloud region in Qatar. The new region will enable Al Jazeera to positively impact and empower more customers and partners around the world. By collaborating with Google Cloud, we have been able to offer a tremendous value-added service to news readers around the world: We capture how people engage with news in real time, By analyzing and putting these insights into action, we can continue to inform the world better.We are proud to have our cloud region in Qatar to provide superior news coverage and access to all information. We believe we are in a strong position to drive deeper engagement with
Adaire Fox-Martin, President of Google Cloud Go-to-Market, said: “We are proud to deliver on the promise we made to the Qatari government and business community in 2020 to open a cloud region in the country. The Qatar economy has great growth potential. Doha’s cloud region will be a catalyst for economic development, creating more job opportunities in the Qatari market as more businesses grow and expand thanks to the power of cloud technology. We are also humbled by the presence of Qatari ministers and Qatari business leaders at the launch event, which reflects the endorsement of the potential for a new cloud region.”
The new Doha region is part of Google Cloud’s global network of 37 regions and 112 zones, providing cloud services to more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The new region will offer high-performance, low-latency services and products to customers of all sizes, from public sector organizations in Qatar and the Middle East to large enterprises, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and start-ups.
Organizations in this region benefit from key controls that allow them to maintain compliance standards, including the highest security, data residency, and specific data storage requirements.
