{"id":3858,"date":"2025-10-02T10:30:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T07:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/?p=3858"},"modified":"2025-10-02T09:28:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T06:28:53","slug":"weekly-news-blast-2nd-october-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/weekly-news-blast-2nd-october-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly News Blast – 2nd October 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Welcome to the GDCA Weekly News Blast! Check out the latest industry news from the GCC region below. Have any Middle East data centres news you\u2019d like to share? Email yours to imogen@gulfdca.com<\/a> with NEWS<\/strong> in the subject line.<\/div>\n
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Industry News<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

UAE<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Oracle and e& Launch UAE-Based Sovereign Cloud Platform<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Oracle Cloud has partnered with e& enterprise<\/b>\u00a0(formerly Etisalat) to deliver the next generation of OneCloud<\/b>, a sovereign hyperscale cloud platform hosted entirely in the UAE<\/b>\u00a0and powered by Oracle Alloy<\/b>. Launching early next year, the platform will offer 200+ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)<\/b>\u00a0AI and cloud services, enabling full data residency<\/b>\u00a0and compliance with UAE regulations. OneCloud will feature transparent SLAs<\/b>, usage-based pricing<\/b>, and 24\/7 managed services<\/b>, supported by e& enterprise\u2019s local expertise. The platform is aimed at government bodies, regulated industries, and large enterprises <\/b>looking to scale AI and modern applications securely within UAE borders. \u2026<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

STC Taps Solutions for $83.5M Network Expansion Project<\/b><\/p>\n

Saudi telecom giant STC<\/b>\u00a0has signed a SAR313.3 million ($83.5M)<\/b>\u00a0contract with its IT services arm, Solutions by STC<\/b>, to expand and upgrade its internet and communications networks. The 36-month project will include upgrading legacy hardware<\/b>, expanding internal and international network capacity<\/b>, and building internet infrastructure<\/b>\u00a0in new data centers across Khamis Mushait, Dammam, Qassim, and North Riyadh<\/b>\u00a0\u2014 supporting the growth of 5G and virtual broadband services<\/b>. Solutions, 79% owned by STC, is a major ICT provider with clients including Saudi Aramco<\/b>. The deal follows recent agreements between the two firms, including a private cloud project<\/b>\u00a0and a RAN capacity upgrade<\/b>, alongside two SAR500M ($133M)<\/b>\u00a0banking facilities signed with SAB and SNB.\u2026<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

ByteBridge and Naizak Partner to Launch Data Center Venture in Saudi Arabia ByteBridge<\/b>\u00a0has signed an MoU with Saudi tech firm Naizak<\/b>\u00a0to establish a data center joint venture<\/b>\u00a0in Saudi Arabia, aimed at supporting hyperscale and AI-driven infrastructure<\/b>\u00a0across the Middle East. Announced on September 30<\/b>, the partnership will help international operators enter the regional market<\/b>, and vice versa for Saudi firms, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030<\/b>. ByteBridge also signed an MoU with South Korea\u2019s FuriosaAI<\/b>\u00a0to explore collaboration in AI-related areas. Naizak strategy chief said the venture combines local expertise and global reach<\/b>\u00a0to deliver next-gen digital infrastructure and attract foreign investment<\/b>\u00a0into Saudi Arabia\u2019s growing tech ecosystem..\u2026<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Oman<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Oracle Launches Second Dedicated Cloud Region in Oman<\/b><\/p>\n

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)<\/b>\u00a0has launched a new Dedicated Region in Ibri City, Oman<\/b>, marking the second OCI region<\/b>\u00a0in the country and the completion of Oman\u2019s first hyperscale cloud footprint<\/b>. Announced by Oracle\u2019s SVP Nick Redshaw, the new region\u2014hosted by ITHCA Group<\/b>\u2014will deliver 200+ AI and cloud services<\/b>, including Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications<\/b>, specifically for Omani government entities<\/b>. The setup supports data sovereignty<\/b>, boosts public sector innovation<\/b>, and enables cost-effective cloud migration<\/b>\u00a0of critical workloads. Oracle\u2019s first Omani region is located in Muscat<\/b>, also hosted by ITHCA. The move is part of a broader strategy, with Oracle also expanding in the UAE and Saudi Arabia<\/b>\u00a0to meet regional cloud and compliance needs.\u2026<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Middle East<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Alibaba Cloud Expands Global Footprint with New Data Centers in Brazil, Europe & Beyond<\/strong><\/div>\n

At its 2025 Apsara Conference, Alibaba Cloud<\/b>\u00a0announced plans to open new data centers in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands<\/b>, with additional locations coming to Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Dubai<\/b>\u00a0over the next year. While details are limited, the expansion supports growing global demand for AI and cloud services. Dr. Feifei Li, President of International Business, said the move positions Alibaba Cloud to help businesses scale next-gen AI applications worldwide. Backed by a $52.7B investment<\/b>, Alibaba Cloud currently operates 91 availability zones in 29 regions<\/b>. In Q1 2026, it reported $4.66B in revenue<\/b>, up 26% YoY<\/b>, with AI-related revenue continuing triple-digit growth for the eighth straight quarter<\/b>.\u2026<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Welcome to the GDCA Weekly News Blast! Check out the latest industry news from the GCC region below. Have any Middle East data centres news you\u2019d like to share? Email yours to imogen@gulfdca.com with NEWS in the subject line. Industry News UAE Oracle and e& Launch UAE-Based Sovereign Cloud Platform Oracle Cloud has partnered with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weekly-news-blast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3858"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3860,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3858\/revisions\/3860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gulfdca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}