Microsoft strengthens global partnership with Databricks, bringing Azure Databricks capabilities to Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Microsoft and Databricks have expanded their strategic partnership to make Azure Databricks capabilities more accessible to organizations across Saudi Arabia. This enhanced collaboration marks a significant step toward empowering local businesses to capitalize on the potential of big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), driving innovation and supporting the Kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 goals.
By combining Databricks' sophisticated data analytics and AI capabilities with the reliable scalability and security of Microsoft Azure, organizations in Saudi Arabia will be equipped to improve operations, create data-driven applications, and derive actionable insights. This development underscores both companies' commitment to supporting the Kingdom's digital transformation and fostering a data-driven culture across sectors.
Aligned with Vision 2030, this collaboration aims to democratize access to analytics and AI applications, provide training and certification programs to equip Saudi professionals with expertise in AI and data engineering, and strengthen Saudi Arabia's position as a global technology hub.
Turki Badhris, President of Microsoft Arabia, highlighted the importance of enhancing global partnerships in the Kingdom, stating: 'By strengthening our collaboration with Databricks, we are empowering Saudi organizations to achieve greater innovation and foster significant business and community impact. This partnership reflects our deep commitment to advancing the Kingdom's data and AI capabilities in alignment with Vision 2030.'
For his part, Mohammad Alzaubi, General Manager, Saudi Arabia, of Databricks, added: 'We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Microsoft and enhance access to Azure Databricks in Saudi Arabia. This collaboration enables Saudi organizations to unlock the true value of their data, accelerate AI initiatives, and gain a competitive edge in the global market. We remain committed to supporting the Kingdom's digital transformation with our pioneering Data Intelligence Platform and empowering the next generation of data professionals.'
Transformative Success Stories in Saudi Arabia
Several leading Saudi organizations are already realizing the transformative potential of Azure Databricks. Cenomi Group, the largest retail and mall operator in Saudi Arabia, successfully implemented one of the Middle East's first Data Lakehouse Architectures. Leveraging Azure Databricks, the group now processes and analyzes vast amounts of data in real-time to optimize operations and enhance customer experiences.
'The integration of Azure Databricks into our operations has revolutionized the way we harness data,' said Binoo Joseph, Chief Digital Officer at Cenomi Centers. 'Through Microsoft's secure and scalable Azure platform, combined with Databricks' advanced analytics capabilities, we can now deliver exceptional customer experiences across the Kingdom. Whether that be through personalized shopping experiences, tailored promotions, or efficient service delivery, this data-drive approach allows us to anticipate customer needs and enhance overall satisfaction across our malls.'
Supporting Local Talent and Innovation
Microsoft and Databricks also plan to further expand the integration of Azure Databricks within Saudi Arabia. This includes adding Databricks into Microsoft's Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI) and tailored programs to upskill local talent in data analytics and AI, as well as initiatives to support the Kingdom's forward-thinking organizations in unlocking the full potential of their data.
As Saudi Arabia continues to accelerate its digital transformation journey, the enhanced collaboration between Microsoft and Databricks will significantly contribute to the Kingdom's economic diversification and innovation initiatives.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq 'MSFT' @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
For more information (Press only):
Rachel Dunn, Microsoft, racheldunn@microsoft.com
Christiane Salem, ProGlobal Media, christiane.salem@proglobal.agency
Husain Gandhi, ProGlobal Media, h.gandhi@proglobal.ae
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
AI to become the backbone of finance, Presight AI chief says
Artificial intelligence is set to become the backbone of financial services, driving everything from payments and central bank digital currencies to compliance, according to the chief executive of G42 unit Presight AI, which focuses on data analytics and AI. 'I think AI will become the backbone of the future of financial digital infrastructure,' Thomas Pramotedham told The National. The shift goes beyond payments, he said, highlighting the Gulf region's emergence as a global hub of investment capital. As money flows increase, 'we need to build strong risk and compliance platforms and these platforms increasingly will be AI-centric'. His comments come as sovereigns in the six-member economic bloc of GCC, regional central banks, financial institutions as well as public and private sector companies are heavily investing in AI adoption. Abu Dhabi in particular is pushing hard to position itself at the forefront of AI-enabled financial infrastructure in the broader Middle East and North African region. With AI being increasingly incorporated in systems and protocols across sectors to boost security and efficiencies, new avenues of growth for companies such as Presight AI are opening up. Presight this year launched a joint venture with the UAE Central Bank to build sovereign AI platforms for payments, central bank digital currencies and real-time settlement systems. Banking at the centre The joint venture also supports the UAE Central Bank's Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme, as well as developing an AI-powered domestic card scheme and open finance systems. Mr Pramotedham said the project underlines the UAE's push to develop resilient, sovereign-grade systems. 'It needs to be built on sovereign AI infrastructure and the central bank is in the position to create such an ecosystem for themselves to implement these policies and regulations, so that we're in a safer and transparent environment.' From efficiency to compliance Risk and compliance, he argued, are now at the forefront of AI's role in finance. 'What you're going to see is an increasing need for risk and compliance, especially where generative AI is going,' he said. Concerns around bias and hallucinations in generative AI are colliding with traditional demands for financial compliance, Mr Pramotedham said. This month, Presight signed an initial agreement with Dow Jones Factiva to co-develop AI-powered risk and compliance tools. The systems are designed for banks, regulators and sovereign entities, fusing Presight's sovereign AI infrastructure with Dow Jones' regulatory-grade datasets. 'Presight will become a platform that will work with Dow Jones and the likes of Dow Jones to support this ecosystem as the UAE and the Middle East become a financial hub,' Mr Pramotedham said. Trust as the foundation Consumer trust, he said, is the foundation of any successful AI rollout, which is quite evident in digital banking as people now send money instantly from their phones because they believe the system works securely, he said. 'You turn on your phone, you're willing to do a transfer … underlying that is not technology, but trust,' Mr Pramotedham said. The same principle applies to AI. 'If they trust the technology, the technology will become useful,' he said. 'In this case, AI, better risk compliance, better infrastructure is what is needed.' Governments v corporates Mr Pramotedham drew a clear distinction between governments and the private sector in terms of the AI adoption. 'Government has the mission to serve us, to serve its citizens,' he said. 'Serving the citizens means a safer city, an inclusive city, a sustainable city. Now, then, you look at how can AI help you with that.' Abu Dhabi's vision of becoming an 'AI-native government', designed to deliver services to citizens 'in a much shorter, much faster and much more efficient way' is an example, he said. The private sector, by contrast, is driven by 'economic returns, cost optimisation, revenue, new sectors', he said. However, not every government is chasing the AI Adoption goals with the same zeal and while some remain risk-averse, others are setting the pace. 'The governments in the UAE are leading exactly how AI should be applied,' he said. 'I think organisations in the UAE are learning from that. There are organisations in the big techs that are applying AI in a much better way and we're learning from that.' Growth trajectory Presight reported an 80 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue in the first half of 2025, reaching more than Dh1 billion ($296 million), driven by both domestic demand and global expansion. International revenue rose to 27 per cent of the total, from less than 5 per cent a year earlier. 'Last year, we went into energy [sector] through the AIQ joint venture with Adnoc, and energy became a third of the revenue. This year, we're doubling down on financial services and insurance,' Mr Pramotedham said. 'Each of the sectors we're in, government, financial services, energy, smart infrastructure, these are the underlying sectors that drive a country's GDP. And as these sectors that have the highest economic contribution adopt AI, these will continue to be the drivers.' Regional AI opportunity The Gulf is positioning itself as a global hub for AI – the sector could contribute about $320 billion to the Middle East's GDP by 2030, with the UAE accounting for close to 14 per cent of its economy, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates. The Gulf market, valued at around $5.4 billion in 2024, is projected to reach more than $22 billion by 2033, according to Imarc Group. McKinsey forecasts that generative AI alone could add between $21 billion and $35 billion annually to Gulf economies, equivalent to up to 2.8 per cent of today's non-oil GDP, with banking and finance among the top beneficiaries. Mr Pramotedham said the region is also gaining influence in shaping global standards. 'Our region is definitely shaping up to be a voice at the table on how risk compliance and 'AI for good' is used,' he said. He added that collaboration will be critical. 'The US has a very large pool of practitioners', he said, while Europe has a strong EU Privacy Act and AI ethics codes. 'I think it's going to be a collaboration,' he added. 'UAE definitely has a strong voice, collaborating in the EU and the US. Collectively, they would exchange the best practices, the learnings, and then to define what we really need.' A hybrid future The impact of AI is not limited only to the government or corporate sector, it is also shaping how individuals live and work. 'My ChatGPT assistant went from my fifth screen to my first screen,' he said. 'Day to day, I'm changing the way we query, from health, wellness, calorie counting, fitness, the ability to get answers in a short time opposed to waiting. Translation, language, travel has completely changed because there's a strong AI assistant.' This kind of AI adoption is likely to scale quickly, reshaping both personal and professional life on a global level, Mr Pramotedham said. 'Extrapolate that to two billion people using this kind of assistance, and then asking their organisations, 'Why can't we have a system like this?' That snowball effect will fundamentally change how we work, live and play,' he said. 'I think we're all going to have a very trusted AI companion. The companies would have very trusted AI workflows. We would see a hybrid of digital workers and human workers, collaborating, trusting and delivering greater impact.'
Zawya
9 hours ago
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia's SWPC expected to award Hadda ISTP project in Q4 2025
Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), the main off-taker for water and wastewater projects in the Kingdom. Is expected to award the Hadda Independent Sewage Treatment Plant (ISTP) project in Makkah in the fourth quarter of 2025, a source aware of the details said. The public-partnership project (PPP) involves the development of a sewage treatment plant with an initial capacity of initial capacity of 100,000 m3/ day, expandable to 250,000 m3/day. The Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on 5 January 2025 with a bid submission deadline of 5 May 2025, which was postponed to 4 July 2025, the source told Zawya Projects. 'The contract award is likely to be announced in November 2025,' the source said, adding that the project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2028. The project will be implemented on BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) basis through a 25-year Sewage Treatment Agreement (STA). (Reporting by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
The National
11 hours ago
- The National
Microsoft accused of delaying tactics with latest review of Israel's use of its tech in Gaza
Microsoft has announced a second investigation into accusations surrounding the Israeli military's use of the company's Azure cloud computing platform in Gaza. This time, however, the company said it would be using lawyers as well as an independent consulting firm for the investigation. The move by Microsoft comes after a report published earlier this month by The Guardian alleged that Israel's military has been used Azure for the 'mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank ' by storing phone call data files. The Redmond, Washington-based technology giant said that if the accusations are true, it would constitute a violation of Microsoft's standard terms of service. For much of the year, controversy has lingered about how various Microsoft products are being used by Israel's military in Gaza, in addition to the company's existing contracts with the Israeli government. In April, during an event marking the company's 50th anniversary, Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's head of AI, was interrupted by a protester who criticised the company for having contracts with Israel. Videos posted on social media show Mr Suleyman 's speech coming to a halt as a woman in the audience accuses him of being a war profiteer. Outside the event, demonstrators protested against the company's contracts with Israel. Many of the demonstrators were Microsoft employees, who were terminated for their actions. The protests have stemmed from the group No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA), which was founded by former Microsoft employees. In response to the demonstrations and allegations, Microsoft announced that an internal review had found 'no evidence' its products have been used to harm people in Gaza. The company came to that conclusion based on an investigation conducted with the help of an outside firm, which involved interviews with dozens of employees and the lengthy assessment of documents. 'As with many governments around the world, we also work with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats,' Microsoft said. The company did not find evidence that Israel's military had failed to comply with Microsoft's terms of service, it added. There were some caveats in Microsoft's statement, however. There was acknowledgement that because of the nature of how software and AI tools are used, Microsoft's own investigation might have been limited. 'Microsoft does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices,' the company said, before concluding with a message expressing concern over the loss of life in Israel and Gaza. Those concerns culminated in a shareholder resolution submitted and supported by 60 investors that is seeking to push Microsoft to evaluate its effectiveness in promoting 'human rights due diligence processes' related to its AI tools. The lead filer of the resolution, set to face a vote at Microsoft's annual shareholder meeting in December, is the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, an international congregation of Catholic women. As for Microsoft's decision to perform yet another investigation into how its cloud and AI offerings are used by Israel's military, NOAA has dismissed the announcement as a delay strategy. 'Microsoft must terminate all Azure contracts and partnerships with the Israeli military government,' the group said. 'The No Azure for Apartheid campaign rejects Microsoft's 'urgent' inquiry into its business with the Israeli Military – as yet another tactic to delay the immediate cessation of ties with the Israeli military.' Other major companies have come under scrutiny for contracts with Israel. Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google and others have faced criticism. Israel's campaign in Gaza – which followed the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages – has killed more than 62,000 people and injured about 156,000.
