ALGIERS, June 24, 2024 – Giant Nvidia’s technologies will make their way into Algeria via Qatari telecommunications operator Ooredoo. Nvidia and Ooredoo have signed an agreement to deploy Nvidia’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the Qatari group’s data centers in the countries where it is present.
In a statement, Ooredoo said this will make it the first company in the region to give its data center customers in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait and the Maldives direct access to Nvidia’s graphics processing and AI technology.
Nvidia is an American multinational company specializing in graphics technologies and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1993, it has become a world leader in the design of graphics processors (GPUs) for personal computers, workstations and servers.
“Our B2B customers, thanks to this agreement, will have access to services that their competitors will probably not have access to for another 18 to 24 months,” said Ooredoo CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo in an interview with British news agency Reuters.
For his part, Ronnie Vasishta, senior vice president of telecommunications at Nvidia, said that providing this technology will enable Ooredoo to more effectively help its customers deploy generative AI applications.
The two companies did not disclose the value of the deal, which was signed on the sidelines of the TM Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 19, according to Reuters, which also notes that Ooredoo has not disclosed what exact type of Nvidia technology it will install in its data centers, indicating that this will depend on customer availability and demand.
It should be noted that Ooredoo is one of the three mobile operators active in Algeria, with Mobilis and Djezzy (public operators). According to the Regulatory Authority for Post and Electronic Communications (ARPC), Ooredoo Algeria had 13.10 million subscribers as of December 31, 2023, with a 25.44% market share. Mobilis comes in first place with 22.51 million subscribers and an estimated market share of 43.70%. It is followed by Djezzy with 15.89 million subscribers and a 30.86% market share.
This agreement marks Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in a region where Washington has restricted exports of sophisticated US chips in an effort to prevent Chinese companies from using Middle Eastern countries as a backdoor to access the latest AI technology, Reuters recalls.
In addition, Ooredoo’s CEO said his group is investing $1 billion to increase the capacity of its regional data centers by an additional 20 to 25 megawatts on top of the 40 megawatts it currently has, and plans to almost triple that figure by the end of the decade.
The company has spun off its data centers into a separate company, following a similar decision last year to create the largest tower company in the Middle East in a deal with Zain of Kuwait and TASC Towers Holding of Dubai. Ooredoo also plans to spin off its submarine cables and fiber optic network into a separate entity, according to Fakhroo.
Key Points:
- Nvidia and Ooredoo have signed an agreement to deploy Nvidia’s AI technology in Ooredoo’s data centers in Algeria, Qatar, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait and the Maldives.
- This will make Ooredoo the first company in the region to give its customers direct access to Nvidia’s AI technology.
- The deal marks Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in a region where Washington has restricted exports of sophisticated US chips.
- Ooredoo is investing $1 billion to increase the capacity of its regional data centers.
- The company plans to spin off its data centers, submarine cables and fiber optic network into separate entities.
