SAP has become the first global technology company to go live with a public cloud data centre in Saudi Arabia, it was announced today.
The landmark launch of the SAP public cloud data centre, the centerpiece of SAP’s 4-year SAR 285 million Saudi investment plan, was announced at SAP NOW – a signature event in Riyadh.
The SAP public cloud data centre is part of the wider Digital Hub, which additionally includes: an open digital platform supporting entrepreneurship, co-innovation with customers, partners, and the wider ecosystem to leverage cloud solutions to solve real world problems, and localisation to support the government’s vision and journey into digital transformation.
“Today’s SAP public cloud data centre launch will deliver a new level of cloud-based digital solutions to accelerate transformation and competitiveness to the Kingdom, underscoring our commitment to Saudi Vision 2030,” said Ahmed Al-Faifi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, SAP Middle East North. “Our in-country public cloud data centre will enable Saudi public and private sector organisations to securely digitally transform their business.”
Organisations can adopt opex-friendly and scalable cloud solutions for 25 industries and 12 lines of business through the data centre. In addition, customers can start their journey of digital transformation by leveraging solutions running on the SAP HANA in-memory database and SAP cloud platform, which are also available on the SAP public cloud data centre.
“Our investment in a public cloud data centre aimed at supporting the Kingdom’s transformation into a leading digital economy, enabling young Saudi talent to innovate, and fostering the next generation of Saudi leaders,” said Khaled Alsaleh, the recently-appointed Managing Director for SAP Saudi Arabia. “Saudi organisations that use our data centre can optimise their budgets in an opex model, and analyse data easily and securely for new levels of business innovation to excel.”
Currently, SAP is exploring how to integrate the new data centre into the planned Saudi Government Cloud. In addition, the company is looking to support of the Saudi workforce of the future, and the SAP Training and Development Institute has graduated more than 750 young previously unemployed Saudi talent through their Young Professional and Dual Study Programmes, and has successfully placed over 98 percent of them in employment in the greater SAP ecosystem.
