Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Pakistan has launched its first sovereign AI cloud through a Telenor–Data Vault partnership, keeping all sensitive data within national borders and providing onshore GPU capacity for high-performance AI workloads. The platform strengthens data sovereignty, supports finance, health, telecom and government services, and gives Pakistan the foundation to develop its own AI systems.
Omantel has partnered with Kingsoft to develop Oman’s first sovereign productivity software hosted on the National Cloud. The initiative ensures data sovereignty, enhanced security, and local cost efficiency, marking a key step toward Oman’s goal of becoming a regional digital innovation hub.
Cloudera will launch Cloudera Arabia in early 2026, giving Saudi clients direct access and local compliance support. The move aligns with Vision 2030, strengthening data sovereignty and governance capabilities while reinforcing Cloudera’s commitment to Saudi enterprise and government sectors.
Mirantis and Pico Public Cloud launch Bangladesh’s first sovereign public cloud, offering local data residency, low latency, and cost-effective cloud solutions. The partnership supports national compliance and digital growth across key industries.
Touchnet and Zadara introduce sovereign GPU-powered AI cloud infrastructure at Samrand data centre, empowering South African enterprises with secure, low-latency AI computing while ensuring data sovereignty. This initiative supports local innovation and reduces reliance on offshore cloud platforms.
Morocco’s plan to build a 500MW renewable-energy data center in Dakhla supports data sovereignty and regional digital leadership. This complements its ongoing investments in AI and fiber optics, reflecting a strong commitment to modernizing digital infrastructure and securing sensitive information within national borders.
Qatar’s Ooredoo and the UAE’s du have launched sovereign AI cloud services hosted locally to provide secure, low-latency access to advanced AI computing power. Ooredoo’s platform, powered by Nvidia Hopper GPUs, and du’s “National Hypercloud,” built on Oracle Alloy infrastructure, aim to accelerate AI adoption in sectors like finance, healthcare, and smart cities. These sovereign clouds enable compliance with national data policies while fostering innovation among governments, startups, and enterprises.
Bahrain grants Malaysia full sovereignty over subscriber data hosted in its cloud centers, strengthening bilateral digital cooperation. The move highlights Bahrain’s robust legal and technical framework for cloud services, affirming its role as a trusted regional digital hub committed to data sovereignty and privacy.
LEAN, a Kuwaiti IT firm, partnered with Lenovo to build a reliable, locally hosted cloud infrastructure, providing data sovereignty and high performance. The collaboration has resulted in zero downtime and cost savings for LEAN, allowing the company to offer SLA-backed performance guarantees to clients, cementing its market leadership.
Generative AI could add up to $35 billion annually to GCC economies, complementing $150 billion from other AI technologies. With strong adoption and data management laws, GCC nations are set to leverage AI’s economic potential while addressing data sovereignty.