Central to Huawei Cloud’s new offering is an advanced AI-ready infrastructure that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of digital services across various Saudi government departments.
Huawei Cloud announced a transformative array of artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives at the Huawei Cloud Summit Saudi Arabia 2024, with the goal of accelerating the Kingdom’s digital transformation and supporting the Vision 2030 objectives. This landmark event, attended by over 600 industry leaders and stakeholders, highlighted Huawei Cloud’s latest advancements in AI technology and infrastructure, designed to bolster the local economy and support Saudi Arabia’s ambitious growth plans.
Central to Huawei Cloud’s new offering is an advanced AI-ready infrastructure that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of digital services across various Saudi government departments. By leveraging Huawei Cloud’s state-of-the-art cloud services, the Saudi government has developed its own Arabic Large Language Model (LLM), which supports more than 20 AI applications and is optimized for high resource utilization. This initiative underscores Huawei Cloud’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology into the local ecosystem, driving significant improvements in service delivery and operational efficiency.
In addition to its technological advancements, Huawei Cloud is dedicated to fostering a robust local ecosystem. The company plans to cultivate a network of over 100 local partners and provide training for more than 3,000 university students. These efforts are aimed at developing local talent and creating a vibrant digital economy that can sustain and enhance Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives. By bridging the gap between global innovation and local expertise, Huawei Cloud is positioning itself as a key player in Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification and technological advancement.
The company’s public cloud business in the Middle East has experienced impressive growth, with a remarkable 300% increase in the past year. In Saudi Arabia specifically, public cloud revenue has surged tenfold, reflecting the strong demand for Huawei Cloud’s solutions and its growing impact on the region’s digital landscape.
During his keynote address, Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East and Central Asia, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. “Huawei Cloud represents more than just a technological choice—it is a strategic decision,” Yi stated. “Like the Tuwaiq Mountains, standing tall and steadfast through time, Huawei remains committed to the Middle East and Central Asia, deeply rooted in this region. With our continuous innovation, deep industry insights, and focus on talent in fields like AI, big data, and cloud computing, we are accelerating the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, contributing to the country’s digital evolution and helping this vibrant land move toward a smarter future.”
Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, also spoke about Huawei Cloud’s alignment with Saudi Arabia’s digital sovereignty strategy. “Huawei Cloud has proactively embraced Saudi Arabia’s digital sovereignty goals, becoming the first cloud service provider fully compliant with the government’s data security policies,” Shi explained. “We are committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of our Saudi customers’ data through cutting-edge technology and localized services, which will contribute to the growth of the local digital economy.”
At the summit, Huawei Cloud showcased its comprehensive suite of AI technologies, which includes capabilities for ubiquitous computing, cost reduction, enhanced data security, and improved service delivery through edge cloud solutions. With the ability to deliver latency as low as 25 milliseconds across the Kingdom, Huawei Cloud is set to provide a seamless and efficient experience for its users, further enhancing the digital infrastructure and capabilities available to Saudi businesses and government entities.
About AI driving the demand for cloud solutions in the region, Roy Luo, Vice President of Cloud Consulting Solution Sales Dept., Huawei Cloud ME&CA said: “Supported by the government, carriers, and data center partners, we expanded the Saudi Arabia region from a single AZ (availability zone) to three AZs in record time. During this period, we achieved CST’s Class C certification and became the first hyperscaler to establish three availability zones with Huawei Cloud Riyadh Region. The Riyadh Region offers 25ms ultra-low latency for customers in Saudi Arabia and provides high-bandwidth, reliable, low-latency cloud direct connection. Additionally, with latency under 100 ms, it serves surrounding regions such as the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and Europe. Huawei is the preferred partner for Chinese enterprises entering Saudi Arabia, actively delivering innovative and differentiated solutions to local customers.”
Lawrence Liu, CEO of Huawei Cloud Saudi Arabia, added: “This year marks 22 years of Huawei’s presence in Saudi Arabia, where we have consistently adhered to the principle of “in Saudi Arabia, for Saudi Arabia.” We aim to collaborate with the country to nurture digital talent and strengthen the local ecosystem, with plans to train over 3,000 ICT undergraduates this year.”
“We place a high priority on developing cloud and AI talents, having enabled more than 3,000 college students to obtain industry certifications related to Huawei Cloud since last year. Additionally, Huawei Cloud has developed over 100 local partners, accelerating their success and fostering top partnerships in Saudi Arabia,” he pointed out.
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