center3 partners with Oracle to enhance cloud services in Saudi Arabia

In a strategic move, center3, a subsidiary of the stc Group and a prominent regional data center and data services provider, has unveiled a collaboration with Oracle. This collaboration aims to furnish hosting and data services for the upcoming Oracle Cloud Riyadh Region while also facilitating the growth of the existing Oracle Cloud Jeddah Region. The objective is to expedite the deployment of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services, catering to the escalating demands for cloud computing from both public and private sector entities within Saudi Arabia.

The planned Oracle Cloud Riyadh Region is part of Oracle’s substantial $1.5 billion investment to augment cloud infrastructure capabilities in the Kingdom. This proposed region will become the sixth operational Oracle Cloud region in the Middle East, in addition to another upcoming region situated in the visionary city of NEOM. Presently, Oracle operates four cloud regions in the Middle East, with the existing Oracle Cloud Jeddah Region being one of the few cloud regions accessible in the Kingdom.

This collaboration holds immense significance for center3 as it closely aligns with the company’s dedication to Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision and the digital transformation sweeping across the region, which links Asia, Africa, and Europe. The endeavor is predicted to bring substantial economic advantages to both Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East.

Fahad A. Alhajeri, CEO of center3, commented, “This strategic partnership sets the stage for our business expansion and contributes to the digital advancement of the region. We have every confidence that this enduring collaboration will propel center3 and Oracle to achieve remarkable heights of success.”

Nick Redshaw, Senior Vice President for Cloud Tech Oracle in the Middle East and Africa, remarked, “Oracle is embarking on one of the most rapid expansions of cloud services witnessed among major cloud vendors in Saudi Arabia, aimed at boosting the Kingdom’s cloud computing capacity. Our cloud offering features unparalleled innovation, integrating advanced AI and machine learning capabilities into our infrastructure and applications for functions like HR, finance, supply chain, and sales. Positioned effectively, we are poised to introduce influential generative AI services designed to help organizations tackle their most intricate challenges. These distinctive capabilities, coupled with our collaboration with center3, will further bolster the growth of the country’s digital economy.”

As an integral part of stc Group’s broader emphasis on digital empowerment, center3 is swiftly establishing itself as a frontrunner within the regional and global digital ecosystem. With its diverse portfolio of data center and data services, center3 positions itself as a comprehensive hub for digital services spanning the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Oracle’s multi-faceted cloud regions across the Middle East are integral to its distributed cloud strategy, providing varied deployment options to address distinct customer needs encompassing regulatory requisites, data sovereignty, and latency minimization. For instance, OCI customers have the option to meet stringent data residency, security, and sovereignty criteria by operating their applications within a self-contained OCI Dedicated Region, wherein all hosted data remains local and private, under the management of the customer’s data center.