Dubai Career Diary

Qatar’s Ooredoo Group has announced a strategic partnership with Nvidia to launch an AI-ready platform, revolutionizing the AI landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Capitalizing on the region’s growing demand for accelerated computing and hyperconnectivity, Ooredoo is developing an AI platform powered by Nvidia’s full-stack innovation across systems, software, and services.

Governments, enterprises, and startups in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives will benefit from this platform, which will enable secure processing of private datasets and produce valuable insights.

Thousands of Nvidia Tensor Core GPUs will be deployed in Ooredoo’s AI data centers, providing customers with a state-of-the-art AI platform featuring advanced infrastructure, tools, and software. This will optimize processes and drive operational efficiencies across industries.

“By partnering with Nvidia, Ooredoo is poised to lead the AI revolution in MENA, driving digitalization and innovation as the leading digital infrastructure provider in the region,” said Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group CEO, Ooredoo.

Working with Nvidia, Ooredoo aims to meet the significantly growing demand for accelerated computing infrastructure to support advanced AI models. This partnership will enable local clouds to be established, facilitating the development of local AI ecosystems and applications and reinforcing data security measures.

Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecom, Nvidia, added: “Ooredoo will provide customers with the flexibility to integrate accelerated computing with their own cloud solutions or directly host them on premises, making it easier to deploy generative AI applications and services.”

The agreement was signed during TMForum’s DTW24 in Copenhagen, marking a significant milestone in the region’s AI journey.

Ooredoo, listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, generated revenues of QAR23 billion ($6.32 billion) in 2023. With this partnership, the company is set to lead the region’s AI transformation.