Microsoft has announced the launch of its new data centre region in Qatar. The company said that the new data centre will provide 36,000 new jobs over the next five years and give the country’s economy a huge $18 billion boost.
Commenting on the news, Lana Khalaf, Microsoft Country Manager, said:
“With its longstanding history as an early adopter of technology, Qatar has completely embraced cloud solutions and revolutionized entire industries to develop a new, advanced digital economy. Today’s announcement will enable the country to take these groundbreaking innovations to the world, showcase its standing as a leader in digital transformation and cement Qatar’s place as a global hub for innovation.”
Like other countries in the Middle East, Qatar relies heavily on gas and oil production. Following the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, Qatar has decided that it wants to diversify its economy by 2030. This will help it prepare for a future where electric vehicles are more prominent and demand for oil has dropped off.
Microsoft said that the new data centre will help address the country’s growing need for high performance computing and reliable access to Microsoft’s services. The data centres are available from today for use with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.
Source: Microsoft via AFP (Yahoo! Finance)