Tencent Cloud to set up cloud data centre in Bahrain

Tencent Cloud is to set up a data centre in Bahrain, seeking to tap into a rapidly growing regional cloud services sector. The data centre, the first in the MENA region, will go live by the end of 2021.

According to research by MarketsandMarkets, the Middle East’s cloud market is expected to reach $4.5bn by 2024, with a CAGR of 17.5 per cent over the same period.

Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of Tencent, and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) signed an MoU aimed at boosting the local digital economy.

Bahrain EDB said the agreement will allow Tencent Cloud to leverage the country’s regional position, and EDB’s connectivity with local and regional stakeholders, including Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat. Tencent Cloud on the other hand will explore and set up training initiatives jointly with the local government in universities and educational institutions across the country to develop local talent.

“This is an important milestone in Bahrain’s journey to become the MENA region’s cloud and data centre hub,” said Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications.

“Tencent joins leading global cloud giants in setting up in Bahrain which will drive massive growth in data traffic towards MENA. Moreover, the launch of the new data centre stands to create a clustering effect as other global providers turn their attention to the increasingly attractive region, with Bahrain positioned as the destination of choice with proactive initiatives such as the government’s ‘cloud-first’ policy and nationwide 5G,” he added.

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Bahrain adopted a ‘cloud-first’ policy in 2017, to drive the adoption of cloud across state entities while reducing IT costs.

Bahrain joins Tencent Cloud’s network of 27 cloud regions and 60 availability zones worldwide. “We will launch all necessary steps to set up a brand-new internet data centre (IDC) in Bahrain to provide better coverage all over the Middle East and North African regions along the Belt and Road, fully supporting Bahrain’s ‘cloud-first’ strategy,” said Poshu Yeung, senior vice president, Tencent Cloud International.