Oracle has announced the launch of its second public cloud region in Saudi Arabia, located in Riyadh, as part of a $1.5 billion investment to strengthen the country’s cloud infrastructure. This expansion aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a leading digital economy.
The new Riyadh cloud region will enable public and private sector organizations to migrate various workloads to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), providing access to a comprehensive suite of cloud services. These services will help organizations modernize applications and leverage data, analytics, and AI for innovation.
This Riyadh cloud region joins Oracle’s existing cloud region in Jeddah and a planned region in the upcoming city of NEOM. Additionally, Oracle is set to expand the capacity of the Jeddah region, which has been operational since 2020.
His Excellency Eng. Haytham Alohali, vice minister of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, highlighted that the opening of Oracle’s new cloud region reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to boosting its digital economy through modern technologies and innovation. “This step will enable both international and local companies to achieve greater innovation and accelerate the adoption of AI and cloud computing, enhancing Saudi Arabia’s competitiveness regionally and globally,” he said.
Richard Smith, executive vice president and general manager of EMEA Cloud Infrastructure at Oracle, emphasized Oracle’s dedication to supporting Saudi Arabia’s goal of developing a robust digital economy. “The Oracle Cloud Riyadh Region will accelerate the adoption of cloud and AI technologies across all sectors, helping organizations meet local data hosting requirements and drive innovation,” he stated.
Oracle Cloud has experienced significant growth in the Middle East, with hundreds of new cloud services and features introduced in recent years. The company continues to attract organizations across the region to Oracle Cloud for their most mission-critical workloads.
Cherian Varghese, Oracle’s SVP for Technology Software in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Levant, noted that the investment in the third data center in Riyadh is driven by ongoing demand and anticipation of future growth. “Saudi Arabia is advancing rapidly in digital transformation, and the demand for cloud services continues to grow,” said Varghese. “This investment ensures that we can meet current and future needs as the Kingdom moves forward with its digital ambitions.”