Qatar’s Ooredoo Group And NVIDIA Forge AI Partnership
Initiative Encompasses The MENA Region
Doha-headquartered digital services operator Ooredoo Group has partnered strategically with NVIDIA, the world leader in AI computing, to meet the growing demand for generative AI and hyperconnectivity solutions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The partnership, endorsed on June 19, 2024, at TMForum’s DTW24 event in Copenhagen, Denmark, will see Ooredoo deploy NVIDIA’s cutting-edge accelerated computing platform to enhance its position as a premier digital infrastructure provider in the MENA region.
The initiative comes on the heels of the US government placing unprecedented restrictions on the export of sophisticated US-developed chips to the Middle East region in a bid to prevent Chinese companies from relying on the region to acquire advanced US-developed AI technology, primarily chips, as the AI arms race between the US and China intensifies.
NVIDIA is renowned for pioneering technologies that power groundbreaking AI, gaming, and visualisation advancements. NVIDIA’s GPUs and AI platforms enable industries to harness data-driven insights, driving efficiency and transforming businesses worldwide.
As a digital infrastructure provider, Ooredoo’s comprehensive digital ecosystem spans core telecom services, dedicated data centres, and strategic ventures in wireless towers and fintech.
AI Data Centres
Ooredoo plans to extensively deploy NVIDIA Tensor Core GPUs within its AI data centres in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives. The initiative promises to catalyse economic growth, foster job creation, and ignite technological innovation in these countries.
Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group CEO of Ooredoo, said: “By integrating NVIDIA’s full-stack platform for accelerated computing and generative AI, Ooredoo is poised at the forefront of the AI revolution in the MENA region.
“This partnership will drive digitalisation and innovation, reinforcing our commitment to delivering unparalleled digital infrastructure services.”
Underpinning industries with next-generation AI capabilities, Ooredoo’s implementation of NVIDIA’s AI platform promises governments, enterprises, and startups in the MENA region access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and software tools.
The rollout includes Ooredoo’s innovative GPU-as-a-Service offering, granting on-demand access to advanced AI and machine learning tools, including generative AI technology.
Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecom at NVIDIA, highlighted the strategic significance of Ooredoo’s role as a regional telecommunications leader.
He said: “Ooredoo’s extensive market presence and commitment to AI infrastructure deployment make them an ideal partner for NVIDIA. Together, we aim to simplify the deployment of generative AI applications and services across the MENA region.”
Meanwhile, Ooredoo Group confirmed Sunita Bottse’s appointment as CEO of Mena Digital Hub, effective May 26, 2024.
Mena Digital Hub, Ooredoo’s newly established, carrier-neutral data centre company, aims to transform the MENA region’s digital infrastructure by providing cutting-edge colocation services to hyper scalers and enterprises.
Featured image: The Ooredoo-NVIDIA partnership was signed at DTW24 in Copenhagen on June 19, 2024. Credit: Ooredoo
Last Updated on 6 months by Arnold Pinto
