Microsoft, in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), has showcased the impact of its expanding datacentre region in Qatar at the ‘Lead the Era of AI’ event. This event marks the datacentre’s second anniversary and addresses the growing demand from businesses in Qatar and the region for secure, scalable, and resilient enterprise-grade cloud services to accelerate their AI transformation and innovation journeys.
The increasing demand for Microsoft’s trusted cloud services is fueled by interest in cutting-edge AI technologies, such as generative AI, which are unlocking new possibilities for businesses across Qatar. These technologies enable businesses to optimize operations, tackle key challenges, and enhance workforce productivity and creativity.
Enabling Access
The expansion of the datacentre region will further enable access to the latest AI developments for public and private sector organizations in Qatar, empowering them to leverage these innovations to thrive in the AI-powered era. Sami Al Shammari, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Operations Affairs at MCIT, emphasized that the expansion demonstrates the Ministry’s commitment to empowering organizations to embrace and shape the new era of AI innovation.
“With the latest advancements in AI at their fingertips, public and private sector enterprises in Qatar are well positioned to drive progress towards the ambitious Digital Agenda 2030, aiming to make Qatar a smart and technologically advanced country,” said Al Shammari.
Lana Khalaf, General Manager of Microsoft Qatar, noted that the exponential growth of cloud and AI applications demands robust infrastructure to ensure their effective development and deployment. “By further building out the datacentre region, we are unlocking unprecedented possibilities for AI-driven innovation across Qatar. Organizations will be able to harness the power of Microsoft’s trusted cloud to enhance decision-making, transform industries, and drive sustainable economic growth.”
At the Heart
Since its launch in 2022, Microsoft’s datacentre region has been central to Microsoft’s mission to help businesses in Qatar’s public and private sectors innovate and accelerate business growth while addressing their data residency, lower latency, security, privacy, and compliance needs.
Various organizations in Qatar have leveraged these advanced capabilities to create and deploy innovative AI solutions that tackle key challenges, increase productivity, and enhance customer and employee experiences. For instance, Qatar e-Government Portal – Hukoomi was one of the first government portals to use Azure OpenAI Service and GPT, offering advanced AI models to revolutionize citizen experiences and maximize value outcomes.
Qatar Foundation used Microsoft Azure AI Cognitive Services to create its bilingual chatbot, BOTaina, and Invest Qatar developed Ai.SHA, an AI-powered chatbot, using Azure OpenAI Service to create unique experiences for investors locally and internationally.
During the ‘Lead the Era of AI’ event, Microsoft celebrated the most innovative organizations with the ‘AI Innovation Awards’. These awards recognize institutions that have demonstrated excellence in driving digital transformation and creating a positive societal impact through AI. The awardees included Qatar Airways, Power International Holding (PIH), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s TASMU Programme, Ashghal, Kahramaa, Hayya, Invest Qatar, the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau, the Supreme Judiciary Council, Al Jazeera Media Group, and Qatar News Agency.
Microsoft’s cloud datacentre region in Qatar is part of a network of over 60 datacentre regions in 140 countries, providing businesses of all sizes access to Microsoft’s innovative cloud and AI services to shape the future.
