In a groundbreaking deal, technology giant Nvidia has teamed up with Qatari telecommunications group Ooredoo to deploy their artificial intelligence (AI) technology at data centers in five Middle Eastern countries. This marks Nvidia's first major launch in the region, as the export of sophisticated U.S. chips to the Middle East has been restricted by Washington to prevent Chinese firms from accessing cutting-edge AI technology through these countries.

Through this agreement, Ooredoo becomes the first company in the region to offer direct access to Nvidia's AI and graphics processing technology to its data center clients in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives. This move will significantly enhance Ooredoo's ability to assist its customers in deploying generative AI applications, according to Ronnie Vasishta, Nvidia's Senior Vice President of Telecom.

Ooredoo's CEO, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, stated that this partnership will give their business-to-business (B2B) clients a competitive edge by providing access to services that may not be available to their competitors for another 18 to 24 months. Details of the specific Nvidia technology to be installed in Ooredoo's data centers were not disclosed, as it will depend on availability and customer demand.

While certain Nvidia technologies are exportable to the Middle East, Washington places restrictions on the export of the company's most advanced chips. Despite these limitations, Ooredoo remains committed to investing $1 billion in expanding its regional data center capacity, adding an additional 20-25 megawatts to the existing 40 megawatts. Furthermore, they plan to nearly triple this capacity by the end of the decade.

Ooredoo's data centers have recently been spun off into a separate company, following a similar move last year to create the largest tower company in the Middle East in collaboration with Kuwait's Zain and Dubai's TASC Towers Holding. In addition, Ooredoo has revealed plans to create a separate entity for its undersea cables and fiber network.

With this partnership, Nvidia and Ooredoo are set to revolutionize the Middle Eastern data center landscape, providing businesses with access to state-of-the-art AI technology and opening up new possibilities for technological innovation in the region.