AWS to launch Saudi Arabia data centers as part of $5bn investment

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Amazon Web Services (AWS) has continued its recent global spending spree by announcing plans to launch a new infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia by 2026 as part of a major investment in the area.

The investment, worth a total of around $5.3 billion, aims to provide developers, startups, enterprises and other organizations in the country with more reliable connections and lower latency.

According to Amazon, the new region aligns with AWS’ long-term commitment to meeting growing demand for cloud services not just in Saudi Arabia, but across the Middle East.

AWS reveals new Saudi Arabia region

AWS VP of Infrastructure Services Prasad Kalyanaraman commented on the news: “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.”

Kalyanaraman alluded at the secondary benefits of bringing the new Region online, including “job creation, skills training, and educational opportunities.”

In addition to the cloud infrastructure investment, AWS plans to establish two so-called innovation centers in order to upskill students and developers across the Middle East and North Africa, with an emphasis on headline-grabbing technologies like AI and ML.

The company’s Saudi Arabia region will bring three Availability Zones online at launch, adding to the existing 105 Availability Zones currently available across 3 global Regions. Moreover, AWS has also announced plans for infrastructure across Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand and Thailand, plus a new AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

Also forming part of the company’s investment is its commitment to training 4,000 women on AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials, free of charge, which represents considerable progress toward the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of empowering women to increase participation in the workforce.

Its Amazon Academy will also provide free cloud technology training and certifications to over 30,000 Saudi citizens.

Though the company is set to benefit from tapping into a growing market, it’s clear that the market is also set to benefit from Amazon Web Services’ presence, and the move represents opportunities for the area’s citizens.