Tencent Cloud Expands with Inaugural Middle East Cloud Region in Saudi Arabia
The new availability zones, expected to be operational by 2025, will mark Saudi Arabia's entry into Tencent Cloud's extensive global network of over 50 availability zones across 21 regions, enabling the delivery of an expanded suite of cutting-edge SaaS and PaaS solutions to the Middle East. These include advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), innovative digital media capabilities, superapp technologies, and more,
The announcement, made at the Ministry of Communications and Technology's (MCIT) flagship LEAP 2025 technology summit, was followed by a business operation commitment of over US$150 million in infrastructure, resources, and investment over the next few years. This commitment is expected to increase and will support the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and drive new digital innovations.
Commenting on the announcement made at LEAP 2025, Mr. Dan Hu, Vice President of Tencent Cloud International for the Middle East and North Africa, hailed the new Cloud Region as a milestone in Tencent Cloud's Middle East growth story; 'We're excited to have grown alongside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and look forward to ramping up Cloud support for the Kingdom and the Middle East more broadly. The new Cloud Region strengthens our ability to support the country's digital transformation journey across important regional verticals, including digital media and streaming, video gaming, esports, e-commerce, tourism, financial services, telecommunications and more.'
Tencent has been a key player in the multi-billion dollar digital entertainment, media and streaming industries. Tencent is also a global video game operator and publisher of many global leading game titles such as Honor of Kings and PUBG MOBILE.
With over two decades of innovation in supporting games, social media, payment and a number of music and video platforms in China and globally, Tencent Cloud offers bespoke digital entertainment and media solutions tailored to meet today's content creation and distribution needs.
'Tencent Cloud's decision to launch its first cloud region in Saudi Arabia represents a significant milestone for digital transformation in the Middle East,' Mohammed AlRobayan, Deputy Minister of Technology at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), said. 'This new cloud region will enhance the Kingdom's digital infrastructure and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies. It also reflects confidence in Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global hub for digital solutions and smart technology, fostering an economy driven by innovation and knowledge.'
Beyond strengthening digital infrastructure within Saudi Arabia, the expansion comes amid the country's push to become a leading global gaming and e-sports hub, under the auspices of Saudi Arabia's National Gaming and Esports Strategy. This positions Saudi Arabia to excel on the global stage, particularly as the country prepares to host the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC).
In 2024, Tencent Cloud achieved consistent double-digit growth in the international market, with the Middle East emerging as one of the fastest-growing regions. This growth was driven by strong demand for Tencent Cloud's unique ecosystem capabilities and world-class media technology services and solutions. Our technologies and solutions have enabled the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to develop its first ever, AI-powered 'digital ambassador' for culture and tourism, Khalifa with Tencent Cloud technologies.
Tencent Cloud empowers global enterprises with cutting-edge solutions. BYD, a leading automaker, leverages Tencent Cloud's intelligent vehicle cloud platform for global markets to accelerate digital transformation. Tencent Meeting/VooV also connects BYD employees across six continents and 30+ industrial zones for enhanced communication and operational efficiency. Meanwhile, Lightchat, a leading social and live streaming platform in the Middle East, integrates Tencent Cloud's TRTC services for low-latency, high-quality real-time communication. With Tencent's media solutions, Lightchat meets surging live streaming demands instantly, delivering a stable and immersive user experience worldwide.
This success extends to Tencent Cloud's collaboration with ZainTech, a local digital solutions provider under Zain Group, to introduce Digital Twin solutions to local enterprises, driving innovation and operational efficiency. Additionally, regional game development company PlaysOut worked with Tencent Cloud to launch a modular, open platform for creating mini-games, enabling greater scalability and global reach. At LEAP 2025, we are setting a strong foundation for future growth together with our global partners, YZ-Intelligence and MiniGame. YZ-Intelligence, a comprehensive service provider of Cloud and Artificial Intelligence, offers professional IT consulting services and customized cloud computing solutions to support enterprises in their digital transformation journey. Leveraging Tencent Cloud's ecosystem capabilities, MiniGame aims to drive innovation and growth in the global HTML5 gaming market, empowering local enterprises in the Middle East with a broader range of services and entertainment options for their users with MiniGame's extensive game library and distribution capabilities.
Tencent Cloud provides invaluable growth opportunities for Middle Eastern businesses to expand into the Chinese market, offering the infrastructure and expertise to navigate and unlock new opportunities. Looking ahead, Tencent Cloud remains committed to working alongside its partners to create a more connected, efficient, and sustainable future for businesses and public organizations alike.
More broadly, Tencent Cloud has established a robust presence across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific, which is fueled by its service to over 10,000 enterprise customers across 30 industries in over 80 markets and regions. This global expansion is powered by Tencent Cloud's ability to integrate innovative technologies into its service offerings, enhancing customer experiences and fostering long-term scalability and growth.
Image Credit: Tencent
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