Ooredoo, a Qatari telecoms group, has partnered with Nvidia to deploy its artificial intelligence technology at data centers in five Middle Eastern countries. This marks Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in the region, where the export of sophisticated US chips to Chinese firms has been restricted by Washington. Through this partnership, Ooredoo will provide clients in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait and the Maldives direct access to Nvidia’s AI and graphics processing technology.
The value of this deal was not disclosed by the companies. However, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, CEO of Ooredoo stated that providing this technology will enable the company to assist its customers in deploying generative AI applications. This strategic move sets Ooredoo ahead of its competitors by giving its clients access to cutting-edge services that may not be available to their competitors for another 18 to 24 months.
Ooredoo is planning to invest $1 billion to expand its regional data center capacity by adding 20-25 additional megawatts to the current 40 megawatts. By the end of the decade, the company aims to increase this even further. In addition, Ooredoo has separated its data centers into a separate entity following a similar move made last year to create the Middle East’s largest tower company in collaboration with Kuwait’s Zain and Dubai’s TASC Towers Holding.
As part of its future plans, Ooredoo is also looking to carve out its undersea cables and fibre network into a separate entity. This strategic restructuring aims to position the company for future growth and innovation in the ever-evolving telecommunications industry.
