NTT DATA plans to launch an AI Factory Lab in Riyadh in September 2026, creating a hands-on environment where organisations can test enterprise AI use cases, validate business outcomes and prepare workloads for secure production deployment using technologies from partners including Cisco and NVIDIA.
The facility will combine NTT DATA’s AI consulting, infrastructure and technology services with partner platforms to help public and private sector organisations move from AI experimentation towards scaled implementation.
The lab will support executive briefings, strategy workshops and practical demonstrations across generative AI, agentic AI, cybersecurity, networking, software development and industry-specific applications.
Lab targets the gap between AI pilots and production
NTT DATA is positioning the Riyadh facility around one of the biggest challenges facing enterprise AI adoption: turning experimentation into operational deployments.
The lab will allow organisations to identify high-impact use cases, assess their potential business value and test them within an integrated environment spanning infrastructure, platforms and services.
Hani Nofal, Executive Head of Infrastructure Solutions for Middle East and Africa at NTT DATA, said many organisations remain interested in AI but need a clearer path from experimentation to measurable outcomes.
The facility is intended to provide that transition by combining technical expertise, infrastructure and ecosystem partnerships within a controlled environment.
Agentic AI and enterprise automation take centre stage
The AI Factory Lab will feature interactive demonstrations covering employee productivity, customer experience, intelligent operations, cybersecurity, networking and software development.
It will also showcase industry-specific business processes.
A particular focus will be agentic AI, with organisations able to explore how AI systems can automate workflows, support decision-making and extract greater value from enterprise data.
This reflects a broader shift in enterprise AI from standalone generative tools towards systems capable of carrying out multi-step tasks and interacting with business processes.
Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA featured in lab
One of the main technology environments inside the Riyadh facility will be the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA.
The platform is intended to demonstrate how organisations can build, deploy, secure, govern and scale AI workloads using enterprise-grade infrastructure.
The experience will cover the data, infrastructure, security and governance layers required to move AI workloads into production while maintaining visibility, compliance and operational resilience.
Cisco intends to provide networking, cybersecurity, observability and collaboration technologies forming part of the underlying AI infrastructure.
NVIDIA will provide accelerated computing and AI software supporting workloads including generative AI, agentic AI, computer vision and digital twins.
Security and governance built into AI deployment model
NTT DATA and its partners are placing security and governance alongside computing performance rather than treating them as later-stage additions.
This is particularly important as enterprises begin connecting AI systems to sensitive internal data, production workflows and business-critical applications.
The lab is designed to give organisations a controlled environment in which they can test AI architectures and refine deployment approaches before making larger infrastructure commitments.
Cisco described the facility as a validated environment where customers can test and prove AI strategies while maintaining greater control over security and governance.
NVIDIA infrastructure supports advanced AI workloads
NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform will provide the underlying processing capabilities for several of the lab’s demonstrations.
The environment is expected to support generative AI models, agentic AI applications, computer vision and digital twin workloads.
These use cases can require substantial computing resources as well as tightly integrated networking, storage, software and security environments.
By making this infrastructure available within a demonstration and validation facility, NTT DATA is seeking to reduce the gap between conceptual AI strategies and real deployment architectures.
Riyadh facility supports Saudi Vision 2030
NTT DATA is positioning the AI Factory Lab within Saudi Arabia’s wider effort to expand AI adoption across government and industry.
The facility will support organisations seeking to use AI to improve productivity, develop new services and modernise operations.
Its location in Riyadh also places the lab within a rapidly expanding ecosystem of AI infrastructure, cloud investment, research centres and enterprise technology initiatives being developed across the Kingdom.
The company said the initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 by supporting advanced technology adoption and economic growth.
Lab forms part of NTT DATA’s global AI strategy
The Riyadh facility is part of NTT DATA’s wider strategy to support enterprise AI through consulting, infrastructure, technology services and industry-focused solutions.
The company is seeking to provide organisations with a full-stack approach rather than focusing only on individual AI models or applications.
That model combines strategic advisory services with the infrastructure and operational capabilities needed to deploy AI at scale.
The lab will also serve organisations across the wider Middle East and Africa, extending its relevance beyond the Saudi market.
Why this matters
The launch is significant because many enterprises now have access to AI tools but still struggle with the operational requirements needed to put them into production.
Issues including data readiness, cybersecurity, governance, networking and infrastructure integration can become bigger barriers than access to AI models themselves.
The NTT DATA facility is designed around those practical implementation challenges.
Its emphasis on agentic AI is also notable. As companies move from AI assistants towards systems capable of executing business processes, the need for secure infrastructure, governance and operational visibility becomes considerably more important.
Editor’s note
The Riyadh AI Factory Lab fits into a growing shift in Saudi Arabia from simply attracting AI infrastructure towards building environments where enterprises can actually test and deploy applications on top of it.
The involvement of Cisco and NVIDIA gives the facility a strong infrastructure foundation, but the real measure of success will be what moves beyond the lab.
The key indicators will be the number of enterprise pilots converted into production deployments, sector-specific applications developed through the facility and whether organisations can demonstrate measurable gains in productivity, security or operational efficiency. If those outcomes materialise, the lab could become a useful bridge between Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding AI capacity and real enterprise adoption.
