Google Cloud Country Manager, Ghassan Kosta. Photos by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: World’s leading computing service platform, Google Cloud expanded its products and services for the first time in the GCC market, aiming to build innovative solutions for customers based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The launching ceremony was held today at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) with the participation of several officials including H E Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H E Ahmad Al Sayed, Minister of State and Chairman of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) and Google executives including Google Cloud President, Adaire Fox-Martin, Google Cloud Country Manager, Ghassan Kosta, partnering organisations and its representatives among others.
During the event, the President of Google Cloud Adaire Fox-Martin lauded the platform’s milestones in providing extensive and pioneering solutions across the globe. She said: “Over the past years, Google Cloud has invested significantly in our capabilities as we continue to grow in new industries, new markets, and bring onboard new customers. More than 60 percent of the world's largest companies today are our customers and we are proud to call them so.”
Highlighting the significance of strategic partnerships the company carries out worldwide, Fox-Martin said “Indeed Google Cloud has become the fastest technology company in the world and we want to continue to build even more opportunities for organisations and people around the world including right here in Qatar. We are very privileged and very honored towards organisations like the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Qatar Financial Center, Qatar Airways, and Alfardan Group to help them redefine, how they work and also how they serve their customers.”
Google Cloud’s Qatar head Ghassan Kosta accentuated that the platform will create enormous opportunities in the Arab region. He said that “This is only a testament to our continued commitment to Qatar's digital transformation. Research commissioned by google cloud and conducted by Access partnership, we feel that a new google cloud Doha region is estimated to contribute an accumulative of $18.9bn in higher growth and economic output between 2023 and 2030 and will support and create 25,000 jobs by 2030 driven by the increased economic activity.”
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event, Ghassan Kosta said: "We are so excited to open our first region in the GCC and Africa starting from Qatar. We are so proud of this achievement and the collaboration between Google Cloud and the Qatari government. There is a very big potential in it."
The executive also stressed that the region and country will positively impact by the services offered, which results in revitalising Qatar's economy. He said: "As part of the Qatar National Vision 2030, we have witnessed how Qatar is working towards diversifying and transforming its economy by deploying more and more tech and innovation for the benefit of its citizens. That is why we were so interested and putting efforts to be able to support Qatar in its digital transformation and economy. So this is the key aspect we are hand-in-hand working with the government and also with the regulators."
"When it comes to Qatar, the cloud policies are friendly and also open and help hyper scalers to come and invest in Qatar. So our relations with all the organisations and partners are very strong and we look forward to growing from Qatar to other regions," Kosta added.
With the opening of its Doha region, Google Cloud has a global network of 37 regions and 112 zones serving more than 200 countries. The platforms’ resilient infrastructures and resources are poised to pave the way for the enhanced digital transformation of technologies in the country.
