The Ministry of Transport and Communications announced the completion of three data centres for Microsoft Azure. 

Three Microsoft Azure data centres are due to begin operations in Qatar next year, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) announced, in efforts to establish the Gulf state as a regional digital hub.

This would make Qatar the 55th Azure region in the world and enables organisations in the country to optimise their operations by providing security, data residency and compliance.

The data centres will also allow start-ups and other organisations in Qatar to directly access international markets without hinderance from entry barriers.

“We are determined to invest in cloud computing for Qatar to become a regional hub for ICT and a destination for international investors in the field,” said Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim bin Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti.

“Slightly more than a year ago, we concluded a strategic partnership with Microsoft to establish a regional centre in Qatar for Microsoft Azure Cloud,” Al Sulaiti added.

He added that work is ongoing to ensure the centres are connected using fibre optics to ensure consistent and nonstop data availability.

The Qatar Azure Centre will aim to reduce carbon footprints by producing up to 98% less carbon emissions through renewable energy and reducing energy consumption by over 30%, according to MoTC.

Read also: Qatari start-up Snoonu partners with Microsoft to ramp up digital transformation

Country Manager of Microsoft Qatar Lana Khalaf said the Azure cloud computing programme has helped organisations reduce operation costs by approximately 40% and enhanced security posture by more than 35%.

She added that economic growth is a crucial point in the Azure Qatar National Framework, aiming to establish Qatar’s position as a digital hub in creating around $3.14 billion opportunities of new revenue for the economy over the next five years.

The Azure Qatar National Framework is also designed to focus on various aspects, such as digitalisation, increasing job opportunities by 2024 and working to train more than 10,000 individuals on an annual basis.

Microsoft has entered into several partnerships and initiatives in Qatar to promote national start-ups, with programmes that plan to lay the foundations for smart cities – a goal of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

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