New Google Cloud region in Doha to fuel economic growth and job creation in Qatar

Google Cloud has announced the opening of its Doha cloud region at an official launch event.

The cloud region will meet growing demand for cloud services in Qatar and the Middle East and support Qatar’s National Vision 2030 that aims to transform the country into a digital economy through innovation and digital transformation, a statement said.

According to research commissioned by Google Cloud and conducted by Access Partnership, the cloud region is expected to drive increased economic activity and is estimated to contribute a cumulative $18.9bn in higher gross economic output to the economy of Qatar between 2023 and 2030 and support the creation of 25,000 jobs in 2030 alone.

Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: “The launch of the first Google Cloud region in Qatar fits into our comprehensive vision to achieve the desired goals of Qatar National Vision 2030, including the establishment of a strong digital infrastructure with internationally agreed standards and policies that will lead us all towards a more efficient economy based on digitalisation and technology to facilitate quality of life and provide convenient solutions for various sectors.

Hayyakom, Doha! We’re excited to announce that the new Google Cloud region in Qatar is now open.

Learn how we’re helping businesses across the Middle East build the future with a transformation cloud ↓ https://t.co/lVeiolPQlx

— Google Cloud (@googlecloud) May 22, 2023

The new cloud region will contribute to giving impetus to economic and productivity growth, and will allow various government and private companies and institutions within Qatar the opportunity to achieve significant efficiency gains by adopting flexible features in dealing with digital technology.”

Ahmad Al Sayed, Minister of State and Chairman of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) said: “The launch of the new Google Cloud region in Qatar marks a significant milestone in our growing partnership with Google Cloud that started in 2020 with an agreement to establish Google Cloud’s region in Doha.

We are proud to provide world-class cloud services from the free zones in Qatar, this is in addition to QFZ’s pivotal role in introducing disruptive technologies and advanced digital infrastructure, creating opportunities for businesses to enhance their capabilities, foster innovation, and advance the technology sector in the State.

This will further accelerate Qatar’s digital transformation and the realization of Qatar National Vision 2030 that aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy.”

Meanwhile, the Doha region is part of Google Cloud’s global network of 37 regions and 112 zones that bring cloud services to over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

The region brings high-performance, low-latency services and products to customers of all sizes, from public sector organisations, to large enterprises, to small and medium enterprises and startups in Qatar and the Middle East.

Organisations in the region will benefit from key controls that allow them to maintain the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards, including specific data storage requirements.

Image credit: Supplied

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