Nvidia has entered into an agreement to deploy its artificial intelligence (AI) technology in data centers owned by Qatari telecom group Ooredoo across five Middle Eastern countries, according to Ooredoo’s CEO, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo. This deal represents Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in a region where the U.S. has restricted the export of advanced chips to prevent Chinese firms from leveraging Middle Eastern countries as a backdoor for accessing cutting-edge AI technology. This partnership will enable Ooredoo to offer its data center clients in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives direct access to Nvidia’s AI and graphics processing technology, enhancing their ability to deploy generative AI applications.
Ooredoo is making a significant investment of $1 billion to increase its regional data center capacity by 20-25 additional megawatts, on top of the existing 40 megawatts, with plans to nearly triple this capacity by the end of the decade. The specifics of the Nvidia technology to be installed will depend on availability and customer demand. This agreement, signed on the sidelines of the TM Forum in Copenhagen on June 19, positions Ooredoo to offer unique services to its business clients, giving them a competitive advantage in the region. This expansion follows Ooredoo’s strategy of creating separate entities for its data centers and its earlier move to establish the Middle East’s largest tower company in collaboration with Kuwait’s Zain and Dubai’s TASC Towers Holding.