Alibaba, one of the world's largest names in e-commerce and cloud computing, is bringing its services to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an agreement with Saudi partners, two data services are set to begin operations in Riyadh, hence providing cloud computing services to fintech companies and other clients.
The Chinese-based company is one of the world's leading names in e-commerce the world over, which is also known for providing sellers the ability to ship items internationally. Hence, it is seen in the same light as the US-based Amazon. And, just like its American competitor, Alibaba also delves into cloud computing with its Alibaba Cloud division.
In fact, the Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC) had recently announced the launch of its services, while making Riyadh the national hub for Alibaba Cloud. This was made during a ceremony held in the Saudi capital in presence of government officials. The SCCC is a joint venture by Alibaba Cloud, as well as Saudi Telecom Company (STC), eWTP Arabia Capital, the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), and Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE).
With the data centers, tech companies will benefit from services provided by the SCCC, in addition to providing job opportunities, and expertise in information technology (IT) and data security. "By collaborating closely with STC Group and other local partners, we are pleased and confident that Alibaba Cloud will support more local enterprises benefiting from the leading cloud computing technologies," Selina Yuan, Alibaba Group VP & Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International President, had stated.
In fact, this comes as Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a regional hub for IT, while readying its youth to be part of the growing digital market. In a statement, Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman of the SCCC, had said that his company will be working closely with the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in fulfilling the goals set by the Kingdom's Vision 2030 program.
