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NVIDIA Teams With Ooredoo For Large-Scale Middle East Launch
The move will give local customers access to cutting-edge generative AI technology and comes amid US curbs on chip exports to the region.
NVIDIA has agreed to a deal with Qatari telecoms group Ooredoo that will see the computing corporation’s artificial intelligence technology deployed at data centers in five Middle Eastern locations.
The expansion plans are NVIDIA’s first large-scale foray into a region where Washington has curbed US chip exports to prevent Chinese firms using Middle Eastern countries to gain back door access to cutting-edge AI technology.
Once plans are complete, Ooredoo will be the first company in the region able to offer clients direct access to NVIDIA AI and graphics processing. The telecoms firm currently has data centers in Algeria, Tunisia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and the Maldives, though no details have been released on the exact technologies that will be available in individual locations.
In a recent statement, NVIDIA’s senior vice president of telecom, Ronnie Vasishta, explained that the company’s technology will soon allow Ooredoo customers to deploy the latest generative AI applications. Meanwhile, Ooredoo’s CEO, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, explained in a recent interview that “B2B clients, thanks to this agreement, will have access to services that probably their competitors (won’t) for another 18 to 24 months”.
Also Read: The Most AI-Proof Career Opportunities In The Middle East
Neither company has disclosed the value of the deal, which was signed at the TM Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 19. However, we do know that Ooredoo will invest $1 billion to upgrade its regional data center capacity in the near future, while also partitioning its large undersea cable and fiber networks into a separate commercial entity.
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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
Also Read: IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth
The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.