Ooredoo Partners with Nvidia to Deploy AI Technology in Middle Eastern Countries Despite US Chip Export Restrictions

Qatari telecoms group Ooredoo has announced a partnership with Nvidia to deploy its artificial intelligence technology at data centers in five Middle Eastern countries. This marks Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in a region where the export of sophisticated US chips to stop Chinese firms has been restricted by Washington. Under this agreement, Ooredoo will provide clients in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives direct access to Nvidia’s AI and graphics processing technology.

Ooredoo CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo stated that this strategic move will enable the company to assist its customers in deploying generative AI applications. By providing cutting-edge services that may not be available to their competitors for another 18 to 24 months, Ooredoo is setting itself ahead of its competitors. The value of this deal, signed at the TM Forum in Copenhagen on June 19, was not disclosed by the companies.

In addition to this partnership, Ooredoo is also planning to invest US$1 billion to expand its regional data center capacity by adding 20-25 additional megawatts to the current 40 megawatts, with plans to increase this even further by the end of the decade. The company has separated its data centers into a separate entity, following a similar move made last year to create the Middle East’s largest tower company in collaboration with Kuwait’s Zain and Dubai’s TASC Towers Holding.

As part of its future plans, Ooredoo is also looking to carve out its undersea cables and fibre network into a separate entity. This strategic restructuring aims to position the company for future growth and innovation in the ever-evolving telecommunications industry.