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Oracle targets training 50,000 Saudis in AI, latest tech

The training is set to form part of an initiative called ‘Mostaqbali’ (My Future), and will be supervised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

by Gulf Business

December 19, 2023

Global technology company Oracle plans to train and certify up to 50,000 Saudi Arabian nationals in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) by the year 2027.

The training will form part of an initiative called ‘Mostaqbali’ (My Future), and it will be deployed in collaboration with Future Work and supervised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

All Saudi nationals, of different learning and professional backgrounds, can qualify for the programme. But Oracle says that there will be a special focus on youth and women. The programme will further seek to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s IT talent pool in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

“Under its National Transformation Program, Saudi Arabia is aiming to increase the contribution of its digital economy to national GDP to around 20% by 2025. The Kingdom is already leading the adoption of digital technologies and is expected to spend $34.5bn in 2023 on ICT, as per IDC,” said Reham AlMusa, vice president – business applications and country leader – Saudi Arabia, Oracle.

“These investments require availability of a workforce that is skilled and qualified in new technologies. As an initiative dedicated to empowering Saudi youth and investing in the country’s present and future workforce, ‘Mostaqbali’ aligns strongly with the Saudi Vision 2030. We believe it can make a significant contribution to helping meet the growing demand for technological skills in the Kingdom, including for our own customers and partners, while creating opportunities for everyone, regardless of background or experience.”

Meanwhile, Oracle said it continues to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia. Recently, the company announced an investment of $1.5bn in Saudi Arabia to boost cloud capacity in the country. As part of this, Oracle plans to open a third cloud region in Riyadh, thereby joining the existing Oracle Cloud Jeddah Region and the planned Oracle Cloud Region in NEOM.

Altogether, Oracle plans to offer five cloud regions in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with three already live in Jeddah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.