By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas and Ron Chen, Bureau Chhief, Asia
An Amazon.com company, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced it will launch an AWS infrastructure Region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2026. The new AWS Region will give developers, startups, entrepreneurs, and enterprises, as well as healthcare, education, gaming, and nonprofit organizations, greater choice for running their applications and serving end users from data centers located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ensuring that customers who want to keep their content in-country can do so. As part of its long-term commitment, AWS is planning to invest more than US$5.3 billion (approx. 19.88 billion Saudi riyal) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For more information about AWS Global Infrastructure, visit aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure.
“Today’s announcement supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation with the highest levels of security and resilience available on AWS cloud infrastructure, helping serve fast-growing demand for cloud services across the Middle East,” said vice president of Infrastructure Services at AWS Prasad Kalyanaraman. “The new AWS Region will enable organizations to unlock the full potential of the cloud and build with AWS technologies like compute, storage, databases, analytics, and artificial intelligence, transforming the way businesses and institutions serve their customers. We look forward to helping Saudi Arabian institutions, startups, and enterprises deliver cloud-powered applications to accelerate growth, productivity, and innovation and spur job creation, skills training, and educational opportunities.”
“The partnership with AWS and their announcement of an AWS Region, backed by a US$5.3 billion investment, ignites a new era of technological excellence and innovation for the Kingdom,” said Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Minister of Communications and Information Technology His Excellency Engineer Abdullah Alswaha. “This cloud Region demonstrates a firm commitment to research, innovation, and empowering entrepreneurs to achieve prosperity for our region and the world.”
The new AWS Region will consist of three Availability Zones at launch, adding to the existing 105 Availability Zones across 33 geographic regions globally. With today’s announcement, AWS has plans to launch 18 more Availability Zones and six more AWS Regions in Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. AWS Regions consist of Availability Zones that place infrastructure in separate and distinct geographic locations. Availability Zones are located far enough from each other to support customers’ business continuity, but near enough to provide low latency for high availability applications that use multiple Availability Zones. Each Availability Zone has independent power, cooling, and physical security and is connected through redundant, ultra-low-latency networks. AWS customers focused on high availability can design their applications to run in multiple Availability Zones to achieve even greater fault tolerance.
AWS offers the broadest and deepest portfolio of services, including analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), compute, database, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning (ML), mobile services, storage, and other cloud technologies. Customers from startups to enterprises to public sector organizations and nonprofits will be able to use advanced technologies from the world’s leading cloud to drive innovation, meet data residency preferences, achieve lower latency, and serve demand for cloud services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East.
Amazon’s Commitment to Developing Digital Skills
To support the growth in cloud adoption across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, AWS will continue to scale its training programs and help accelerate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of empowering women to increase participation in the workforce. To help support this goal, AWS is launching a new upskilling program, “AWS Saudi Arabia Women’s Skills Initiative,” in partnership with Skillsoft Global Knowledge. AWS will train up to 4,000 women on AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials, at no charge, through classroom trainings with AWS-certified professionals. This initiative is designed to help women jumpstart a career in cloud computing.
In addition, AWS will continue to invest in upskilling students, local developers and technical professionals, nontechnical professionals, and the next generation of IT leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through offerings such as AWS Academy, AWS Educate, AWS re/Start, and AWS Skill Builder. These offerings help learners of all backgrounds and experiences prepare for careers in the cloud. From higher education courses to full-time workforce development programs to interactive, game-based learning content, AWS Training and Certification provides individuals with training in the ways they like to learn.
AWS will establish two new innovation centers and provide startups in the Middle East and North Africa with technical mentorship and trainings on AWS technologies such as AI and ML. AWS will also make grants available to fund graduate student research and provide free AWS Skill Builder subscriptions for up to 4,000 individuals working for small and medium enterprises established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. AWS Skill Builder is a digital learning center with more than 600 free courses in up to 14 languages, and covering more than 30 AWS services from foundational to advanced levels. By expanding AWS’s commitment to free digital training, AWS will help accelerate the number of diverse candidates who enter the talent pipeline. Building on this commitment, AWS will also continue to scale its training programs and accelerate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of empowering women to increase participation in the workforce.
AWS Academy will provide higher education institutions with ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum that prepares students to pursue industry-recognized certifications and in-demand cloud jobs. Eleven higher education institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have incorporated AWS Academy courses into their curricula, including the College of Telecom and Electronics, Communications and Information College in Riyadh, the Digital Technical College for Girls in Riyadh, King Khalid University, Majmaah University, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, and more. AWS is committed to removing barriers to cloud skills education, investing hundreds of millions of dollars to provide free cloud computing skills training to 29 million people globally by 2025.
As part of a continued commitment to contribute to the development of digital skills, AWS and Amazon recently launched Amazon Academy to provide training and certifications in cloud technology, logistics, and retail, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The initiative complements the Human Capability Development Program of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and aims to train over 30,000 Saudi citizens, provide 35,000 certification vouchers, and will also offer 100 internship opportunities. Amazon Academy will provide transformative training and certifications, free of cost to the participants, to elevate in-demand competencies and equip Saudi talent for jobs of the future. The program will empower the next generation of Saudi youth, entrepreneurs, and professionals at any stage of their career to achieve success across various in-demand skills such as cloud computing, logistics, and leadership. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) will collaborate with Amazon through MCIT’s Future Skills initiative to encourage Saudi talent to sign up for the skills development academy, which is operated by Saudi Digital Academy (SDA) and TUWAIQ Academy. Amazon Academy combines Amazon’s global technological and operational expertise with its understanding of the Saudi talent landscape to deploy cutting-edge skills training. Certifications under the cloud computing path will include basic and advanced to specialized levels across cloud architecting, AI, ML, data analytics, and other job-ready technology certifications to propel professionals and companies towards a digital future.
And, as part of Amazon’s continued commitment to contribute to upskilling women, Amazon launched a hiring program for female delivery associates – creating opportunities for upskilling and enabling women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to build successful careers in e-commerce logistics.
Customers welcome the AWS Region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are among the millions of active customers using AWS in more than 190 countries around the world. Enterprises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia choose AWS to innovate, drive cost efficiencies, and accelerate launch time. Organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that choose AWS to run their workloads to accelerate innovation, increase agility, and drive cost savings include Abdul Latif Jameel, Almarai, Almosafer, Al Naghi Group, Jahez, Mobily, Red Sea Global, Saudi Telecom Group, Seera Holding Group, and more.
Abdul Latif Jameel is a nearly 80-year-old network of internationally diversified businesses shaping the future of its core sectors, mobility, energy & water, financial services, investments and health. This network has operations in over 35 countries. “The announcement of the new AWS Region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an important development. AWS’s advanced technologies have the potential to unlock significant efficiencies for businesses in Saudi and the region, thus supporting the goals of Vision 2030,” said Hassan Jameel, deputy president and vice chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel. “We selected AWS in 2023 as Abdul Latif Jameel’s preferred cloud provider. Teaming up with AWS is powering our continued digital transformation and driving further innovation and customer centricity across our core sectors.”
Almarai is one of the world’s largest vertically integrated dairy companies and one of the largest food and beverage production and distribution companies in the Middle East. The company has 11 different brands, including one of the largest transportation fleets in the Middle East. “This is a great day for technology in the Kingdom. Establishing an AWS Region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents a significant milestone that will undoubtedly revolutionize the landscape of cloud computing,” said Almarai CIO Dr. Faisal AlNasser. “Bringing together AWS’s leading cloud services and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s enormous potential will contribute to the growth and development of the economy by providing businesses with access to scalable, secure, and reliable cloud solutions. We have adopted a cloud-first policy, and with this announcement and the doors it will open, we are excited to enhance our partnership with AWS to accelerate our digital initiatives and enhance our operational efficiency.”
Almosafer is an integrated travel platform that has businesses catering to every vertical across the travel and tourism industries and is one of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leading travel companies. Almosafer is at the forefront of delivering experiences to, from, and within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for leisure, business, and religious tourism. “We look forward to welcoming AWS in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This will no doubt enable us to leverage AWS’s cloud computing technologies to further our mutual business benefits,” said CEO, Almosafer Muzzammil Ahussain. “As the world’s leading cloud, AWS has been an integral part of Almosafer’s digital journey, and we are confident that AWS coming to the region will bring with it even more innovative and agile solutions for us to drive growth across Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector.”
Al Naghi Group is one of the largest conglomerates specializing in the automotive, consumer goods, and retail sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “We extend our warmest congratulations to AWS on this exciting announcement. This is truly a step in the right direction given the Kingdom’s potential and the great opportunity it offers,” said Al Naghi Motors CIO Dr. ZakariaElnaggar. “We are eager to explore the possibilities that this new Region will bring and look forward to leveraging AWS’s cloud services to accelerate our digital transformation journey.”
Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) provides integrated wireless services for three main sectors, namely individuals, business, and carriers. It has one of the largest wireless networks by coverage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the region. “Today is a special occasion for Mobily as we welcome an industry leader, AWS, which has unparalleled strength in cloud computing, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said CEO, Mobily Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Badran,. “This marks a significant step in our ongoing commitment to provide our customers with cutting-edge solutions and empower businesses in the Kingdom. By leveraging Mobily’s deep understanding of the local market and robust infrastructure with AWS’s global expertise, we are creating opportunities to deliver innovative B2B and B2C solutions that revolutionize the digital experience. Using generative AI, next-gen technologies, and exploring their full potential with AWS, we aim to unlock new business possibilities to operate more efficiently, reach broader audiences, and ultimately contribute to the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 goals.”
Red Sea Global is leveraging the most innovative concepts and technologies to deliver projects that actively enhance the well-being of customers, communities, and environments. Red Sea Global operates responsible and regenerative tourism destinations that aim to enhance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s luxury tourism and sustainability offering, going above and beyond to not only protect the natural environment, but to enhance it for future generations to come. “We are thrilled to see the world’s top cloud provider, AWS, making significant investments in Saudi Arabia. At Red Sea Global, we believe this significant investment in digital infrastructure will further enhance the delivery of sustainable hospitality and tourism projects in the region. This collaboration highlights the importance of Vision 2030 projects and showcases how Saudi Arabia continues to attract top-tier companies like AWS to be part of its growth and development,” said Red Sea Global CEO John Pagano. “The depth and breadth of AWS services, spanning from infrastructure technologies to cutting-edge innovations like machine learning and artificial intelligence, will empower us to transform our existing applications and build new solutions with ease. This massive investment in digital infrastructure will further enhance our sustainability and hospitality projects in the region.”
stc Group engages in the provision of ICT services. It establishes, manages, operates, and maintains fixed and mobile telecommunication networks, systems and infrastructure. The group engages in IoT, fintech, and cyber security. “AWS’s investment in Saudi Arabia represents a resounding endorsement of the Kingdom’s flourishing technology sector. Saudi Arabia is transforming into the region’s preeminent digital hub, supported by a thriving economy and a tech-savvy and youthful population,” said CEO of Saudi Telecom Group Olayan M. Alwetaid. “This investment, along with the work of the Saudi Telecom Group, will accelerate the Kingdom’s goal of becoming among the world’s most connected and digitalized nations.”
AWS Partners also welcome the new AWS Region
The AWS Partner Network (APN) is a global community that leverages AWS technologies, programs, expertise, and tools to build solutions and services for customers. Together, partners and AWS provide innovative solutions, solve technical challenges, win deals, and deliver greater customer value. AWS Partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia include Adobe, AppSquadz, Cognizant, DXC Technology, Genesys, Kyndryl, LTMindtree, SAP, Trend Micro Incorporated, Zain, and many others. For the full list of AWS Partners, visit aws.amazon.com/partners.
“Genesys is committed to deepening its Middle East footprint and bringing AI experience and innovation to the region, most recently highlighted by adding new public social media capabilities that will enable local businesses to meet the expectations of a digital-savvy consumer base,” said Genesys CEO and chairman Tony Bates. “Many Saudi Arabia-based organizations trust Genesys solutions today, and working together with AWS to expand our cloud capability will enable us to provide even more businesses with the foundation to undergo digital transformation, positioning them for success in the AI era. Our longstanding collaboration with AWS is critical to providing our customers with business resiliency and enabling them to meet the local requirements around data privacy, residency and protection where they operate so they can deliver loyalty-defining experiences and differentiate in the global marketplace.”
“SAP and its ecosystem of partners, such as AWS, are committed to supporting Saudi’s Vision 2030 digital objectives, and we have a long history of collaborating to enable enterprises to run more efficiently and make better use of their data,” said senior vice president, SAP Middle East Africa – North Ahmed AlFaifi. “This extension of our partnership will help to boost the digital transformation of Saudi companies, ultimately creating a network of intelligent, sustainable, and future-proof enterprises. We believe the collaboration will benefit SAP customers in the Kingdom immensely, fostering innovation and increasing the deployment of cutting-edge digital solutions that meet local needs and contribute to the country’s impressive program of economic diversification and transformation.”
“The Kingdom is emerging as a hub for next-gen technologies, with a cloud-first strategy focused on driving growth with innovation. This continues to attract global operations including the launch of AWS, and we are looking forward to working with AWS to unlock new opportunities in the field of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning,” said Zain CEO, Eng. Sultan Bin Abdulaziz AlDeghaither. “This partnership will further advance our award-winning solutions and enable our customers to fully benefit from generative AI and smart city functionalities. This aligns with our strategic goal of expanding our digital ecosystem to empower communities and protect the environment while shaping the future of enterprise productivity and accelerating the transition to a sustainable, digital economy.”
Commitment to sustainability
Amazon is committed to becoming a more sustainable business and reaching net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement, as part of The Climate Pledge. Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge and became its first signatory in 2019. As part of its Climate Pledge commitment, Amazon is on a path to power its operations with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the original 2030 target. See Amazon’s public methodology for more on its approach. Amazon has been named the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the last four years in a row — a position it’s held since 2020, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Amazon now has more than 500 renewable energy projects in 27 countries. Additionally, AWS will be water positive by 2030, returning more water to communities than it uses in its direct operations.
