14 November 2024, Thu |
8:13 PM
Google Cloud marked the first anniversary of the Dammam Cloud Region launch in Saudi Arabia with the inaugural Google Cloud Saudi Arabia Summit. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel Kingdom Tower in Riyadh, the event gathered over 1,500 attendees, including Google Cloud partners, customers, government officials, and industry leaders, to celebrate achievements and discuss the future of cloud computing and AI in the Kingdom.
The summit highlighted Google Cloud’s strong commitment to Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation journey and showcased the rapid growth of the Kingdom’s technology landscape.
Bader Almadi, Country Manager for Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia, in his keynote speech, emphasized, “This summit marks a significant milestone in Google Cloud’s journey in Saudi Arabia. We are committed to supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives by empowering businesses, government entities, and individuals with the transformative power of cloud technology and AI. We are confident that together, we can drive sustainable economic growth and establish Saudi Arabia as a global hub for digital innovation.”
Abdul Rahman Al-Thehaiban, Managing Director for Turkey, Middle East & Africa at Google Cloud, further emphasized the company’s dedication to advancing the Kingdom’s leadership in technological innovation, noting their collaboration with the Public Investment Fund to establish a global AI hub in Saudi Arabia. “We will continue investing in infrastructure and fostering a thriving ecosystem to unlock Saudi Arabia’s full potential,” he stated.
The summit featured a dynamic agenda, including keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and interactive demos. Businesses such as Saudi Airlines, ROSHN, and Almarai shared insights into how they are leveraging cloud technologies and AI to innovate.
Empowering Startups and Developers
The summit also focused on empowering startups and developers. The Founders Lunch program brought together early-stage startup operators, with speakers sharing insights on fundraising, product development, marketing, and scaling businesses. Notable speakers included Omar Shabaan, CEO of The Space, and Baraa Koshak, CEO of Abwab.ai.
For developers, the Innovators Hive offered interactive hands-on labs, with over 630 participants engaged in sessions on “AI with BigQuery” and “MultiModality with Gemini.”
Championing Women in Tech
Google Cloud also dedicated sessions to empowering women in technology. The “She Leads” session explored strategies for overcoming barriers to leadership in tech, with inspiring speakers such as Reem Al Adeeb, Saudi Arabia’s first Formula E racer, and Rasha al-Khamis, the first certified female boxer in the Kingdom. A special breakfast session, “Discover the Future of Data: Empowering Women to Lead,” highlighted the contributions of women in data and analytics.
The Google Cloud Summit Saudi Arabia 2024 served as a platform for celebrating Google Cloud’s successful first year in the Kingdom and fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among partners, customers, and developers.
