Nvidia to launch in Middle East amid U.S. curbs on AI exports | Atoll ...
Ooredoo, a Qatari telecoms group, is making a significant investment of $1 billion to expand its regional data center capacity by an additional 20-25 megawatts. This move comes as part of a strategic decision to enhance its technological capabilities.
Nvidia's Partnership with Ooredoo in the Middle East
In a recent development, Nvidia has entered into a partnership with Ooredoo to integrate its artificial intelligence technology into the data centers of the telecoms group across five Middle Eastern countries. This collaboration signifies Nvidia's first major foray into the region, despite restrictions imposed by the U.S. government on the export of advanced chips to the Middle East.
Through this agreement, Ooredoo will become the primary provider in the region offering direct access to Nvidia's AI and graphics processing technology to clients utilizing its data centers in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives. This initiative is aimed at enabling Ooredoo to deliver enhanced services to its customers, particularly in deploying generative AI applications.
Benefits of the Partnership
Nvidia's senior vice president of telecom, Ronnie Vasishta, highlighted that this collaboration will give Ooredoo's business clients a competitive edge by providing them with advanced services that may not be accessible to their competitors for the next 18 to 24 months.
While the exact financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, the agreement was formalized during the TM Forum in Copenhagen on June 19. Ooredoo refrained from specifying the exact Nvidia technologies that will be implemented in its data centers, citing factors such as availability and customer demand as key considerations.
Expanding Data Center Capacity
Given the increasing demand for data center services in the region, Ooredoo is aggressively expanding its infrastructure. The company plans to boost its regional data center capacity by an additional 20-25 megawatts, supplementing the existing 40 megawatts. Furthermore, Ooredoo aims to nearly triple its capacity by the end of the decade, demonstrating its commitment to catering to the evolving needs of its clients.
Moreover, Ooredoo has recently restructured its operations by segregating its data centers into a distinct entity, a move that mirrors its earlier initiative to establish the largest tower company in the Middle East in collaboration with Kuwait's Zain and Dubai's TASC Towers Holding. The telecoms group also has intentions to separate its undersea cables and fiber network into a standalone entity, highlighting its strategic focus on enhancing operational efficiency and service delivery.
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