Google Cloud Celebrates Doha Region’s 1st Year with AI Innovation Summit

Google Cloud marked the first anniversary of its Doha cloud region with the inaugural Google Cloud Doha Summit, celebrating a year of significant growth and AI innovation in Qatar. Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the summit highlighted the progress and collaboration within Qatar’s digital landscape.

Held at Stadium 974 in Doha, the event attracted over 1,000 attendees, including Google Cloud partners, customers, government officials, and industry leaders. The summit showcased the remarkable achievements of the past year and explored the future of cloud computing and AI in Qatar, under the visionary leadership of H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai.

Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Operations Affairs, Mr. Sami Mohammed Al Shammari, praised Google Cloud’s contributions: “We congratulate Google Cloud on their first successful year in Qatar. Their innovation and cutting-edge solutions have significantly enhanced our digital landscape, driving progress across various sectors. We look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership as we achieve our digital transformation goals.”

Abdul Rahman Al Thehaiban, Managing Director for Turkey, Middle East & Africa at Google Cloud, reiterated the company’s commitment: “Google Cloud remains dedicated to Qatar’s digital and knowledge-based economy. By investing in infrastructure, introducing new services, and fostering a thriving ecosystem of partners and developers, we aim to unlock Qatar’s full digital potential.”

Ghassan Kosta, Regional Country Manager at Google Cloud, emphasized the milestone’s significance: “This achievement highlights the incredible potential and growth in Qatar’s digital marketplace. We are committed to fostering an ecosystem where businesses, government entities, and individuals can leverage AI to drive economic growth and create opportunities.”

As the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, the Doha Google Cloud region has seen widespread adoption of Google Cloud’s innovative services across various sectors. This underscores the power of cloud computing and Google Cloud’s commitment to empowering organizations in Qatar.

Anthony Cirot, VP EMEA South at Google Cloud, shared insights on AI and cloud computing innovations, highlighting Google Cloud’s mission to make AI more accessible. “AI is essential to accelerating digital transformation. With innovations like Gemini for Google Cloud, we enable teams to innovate faster and transform operations through AI. Google Cloud is proud to support Qatar’s growth and transformation.”

The summit featured industry leaders like Sheikh Ali Bin Jabor Al-Thani, CEO of Ooredoo Qatar, who discussed Ooredoo’s data transformation partnership with Google Cloud and the role of generative AI in their future goals.

Google Cloud also showcased innovations from customers and partners, including the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, University of Doha for Science and Technology, Qatar University, and many more. This collaboration highlights the diverse and dynamic use of cloud technologies and AI in Qatar’s digital ecosystem.