Google will open a “cloud region” where it can provide its cloud services in Saudi Arabia via a joint venture with state-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco, as Covid-19 prompts a landmark acceleration in digital adoption across the Gulf.
“The collaboration taps into rapidly expanding cloud services demand in Saudi Arabia, which is forecast to reach a market opportunity up to $10 billion by 2030,” Aramco said in a statement on Monday.
Aramco said the agreement with Google will deliver “high performance, low-latency cloud services to enterprise customers in Saudi Arabia” as warming relations in the region open the political space for U.S. technology companies to expand into the kingdom.