Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Oracle, a US-based leading technology company, is expanding its data center capacity in Saudi Arabia and the UAE to meet rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services, according to a senior executive.

Cormac Watters, Executive Vice President of Applications for Oracle Europe, Middle East, and Africa, told The National News that the company had added a couple of data centers across the two countries over the past six months, with further additions planned in the next six months.

Oracle currently operates cloud regions in Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE. The company had also announced plans for a cloud region in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM megaproject.

Watters said data sovereignty has become a key concern for regional customers amid geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding where data is stored and who controls access to it.

The Middle East is Oracle’s fastest-growing market within its Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, with the company also identifying opportunities in Qatar and Kuwait.

Watters added that organizations across the UAE and the wider region are adopting AI faster than many global counterparts, driven by their openness to innovation and technological change.