Google Cloud establishes office in Kuwait

Kuwait, The Gulf Observer: Google Cloud is entering the Kuwaiti market after the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority approved the establishment of the ‘Google Cloud Computing Services Company’ as an independent firm. The company, which will serve as Google Cloud’s office in Kuwait, will operate under the ‘One Person Company’ business model. It is wholly-owned by the Google Europe, Middle East And Africa Unlimited Company with a total capital of KD 600,000, according to the company’s memorandum of association published in the national gazette ‘Kuwait Al-Youm’. The company offers services including cloud computing, data processing, web hosting and others.

Google Cloud had earlier announced a strategic alliance with the Kuwaiti government to roll out a comprehensive digital transformation roadmap across state departments and key state-owned enterprises. “The alliance will enable the Kuwaiti government to leverage Google Cloud’s technology and expertise in data analytics, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver on its commitment to make digitization one of its top national priorities in the coming years,” according to a press release by the company. As part of the strategic alliance, Google Cloud will work with the government to digitize citizen services and increase its employees’ productivity. Additionally, both will partner to implement a number of digital transformation initiatives in healthcare, education, disaster recovery and smart living.

“In collaboration with the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) and the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), Google Cloud intends to set up a local office in Kuwait and invest in opening a cloud region in the country,” reads the press statement released in January 2023. The new cloud region will support public sector organizations, businesses and startups in their digital transformation journeys, which will contribute to realizing Kuwait’s ambition to become a data-driven economy.

Thomas Kurian, chief executive officer at Google Cloud, said: “The strategic alliance supports the Government of Kuwait’s Vision 2035, which aims to transform Kuwait into a digital society and diversify its economy. We are proud to bring the latest Google Cloud technologies to Kuwait to help the country realize its digitization ambitions. The arrival of Google Cloud will contribute to developing a rich tech ecosystem in the country, creating exciting, highly-skilled job opportunities for Kuwaitis.”

Google Cloud will collaborate with CAIT to launch a national skilling program. The program will upskill government employees in digital technologies and Google Cloud’s data analytics, machine learning, AI and security solutions. The new cloud region will support the Government of Kuwait and other Google Cloud customers to manage their digital workloads and enable them to store important data securely.