Oracle has opened its second cloud region in Saudi Arabia, giving a boost to Riyadh's digital transformation strategy, as it aims to help the kingdom's economy harness the full potential of artificial intelligence.
The move, part of a $1.5 billion investment commitment announced by the US technology company in the Arab world's biggest economy, will help public and private organisations migrate to the cloud, Texas-based Oracle told The National on Tuesday.
The new project joins the operational cloud region in Jeddah, with two more planned – one in Riyadh and the other at Neom, the $500 billion high-tech megacity along the Red Sea.
Oracle previously said the Neom region would be open “soon”.
Oracle’s new cloud region reflects the kingdom’s “continuous efforts in boosting the digital economy based on modern technologies and innovation”, said Haytham Alohali, Vice Minister in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
It will also promote data sovereignty, which refers to the protection of data within the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction it is in, a key factor to its security and reliability.
“This step will significantly enable international and local companies to achieve innovation and promote the adoption of AI and cloud computing technologies in various sectors, which enhances Saudi Arabia's competitiveness at the regional and international level,” Mr Alohali said.
The adoption of cloud services has continued to grow in the Middle East amid the rise of technology-savvy young consumers and an evolving digital landscape, underpinned by government efforts to develop the future economy.
This has given global cloud providers an incentive to tap into the potential being offered by the region. Global companies including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and Alibaba Cloud have also all opened cloud and data centres in the region.
And with the emergence of generative AI, an expanded cloud footprint in Saudi Arabia would be vital for companies as they move forward with digital transformation, said Jyoti Lalchandani, regional managing director at the International Data Corporation.
“Local cloud infrastructure helps organisations ensure faster data processing, enhanced security and their compliance with national regulations, helping them innovate more efficiently and effectively,” he said.
“This strategic move not only supports the kingdom’s vision to leverage artificial intelligence to drive digital transformation, but also empowers companies to harness the full potential of AI, driving competitive advantage and creating local value and growth.”
The number of Oracle's cloud regions in the Middle East and Africa stands at eight, including two more planned for Morocco, according to a May statement.
Counting Riyadh, it now has five live cloud regions in the Middle East and Africa region, including one in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah and Johannesburg.
While Oracle does not provide market share figures, it currently manages 75 cloud regions across 26 countries, according to its website.
The biggest player in the global cloud infrastructure services sector is Amazon Web Services, with a 31 per cent market share, followed by Microsoft Azure with 25 per cent and Google Cloud with 10 per cent, data from Statista shows.
Global spending on public cloud services is projected to surpass $1.6 trillion by 2028, double the estimate of $805 billion for 2024, the International Data Corporation said in a report last week.
In the GCC, revenue in the public cloud market is expected to hit more than $5 billion this year, according to Statista.
Oracle's Riyadh cloud region “will help accelerate adoption of cloud and AI technologies to boost innovation across all sectors of the Saudi economy, while helping organisations addressing local data hosting requirements”, said Richard Smith, executive vice president and general manager, for Oracle's cloud infrastructure in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Results
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner No Riesgo Al Maury, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner Marwa W’Rsan, Sam Hitchcott, Jaci Wickham.
6pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner Dahess D’Arabie, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner Safin Al Reef, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m
Winner Thulbaseera Al Jasra, Shakir Al Balushi, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 80,000 2,200m
Winner Autumn Pride, Szczepan Mazur, Helal Al Alawi.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
