News

Google Cloud Announces New Regional Hub In Qatar

The initiative is expected to bolster the country’s economic output by $18.9 billion from 2023 to 2030 and will eventually generate an additional 25,000 jobs.

Published

2 years ago

May 24, 2023

Nour Nasir

google cloud announces new regional hub in qatar

Google Cloud is working with Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Qatar Free Zone Authority to establish a regional hub in the country’s capital, Doha.

The hub will be the company’s first in the GCC region. It will focus on the digital transformation of the company in Qatar and the wider Middle East, helping Google to develop its products and services.

The Doha hub was recently announced as part of Google Cloud’s global network of 37 regions and 112 zones. As a result of the expansion, Google Cloud services can now be used in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

According to research by Google Cloud (conducted by Access Partnership), creating a new hub is anticipated to impact Qatar’s economy significantly. Between 2023 and 2030, the manufacturing facility will contribute approximately $18.9 billion to Qatar’s economic output and is also expected to create around 25,000 jobs by 2030.

Google says the new Doha regional hub will have three areas where users can submit apps and store them for better protection against attacks. The infrastructure will also include Google’s major cloud products, such as Computer Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, Google Kubernetes Engine, Spanner, and more. These products provide users with various tools and features to meet their cloud needs and support them with their digital processes.

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The official announcement was made at a launch event attended by Qatari cabinet officials and business leaders, highlighting the importance of Google’s regional expansion to local cloud infrastructure.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai welcomed the announcement, declaring that the new hub aligns with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, stating, “The new cloud region will contribute to giving impetus to economic and productivity growth, and will allow various government and private companies and institutions within Qatar the opportunity to achieve significant efficiency gains by adopting flexible features in dealing with digital technology”.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.