In 2026, AWS intends to unveil a new cloud infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia, injecting more than $5.3 billion. This approach will benefit a range of sectors by delivering local data centers, thus ensuring in-country content storage for clients. Upon its launch, the new AWS Region will comprise three Availability Zones, increasing the total number of AWS Availability Zones across 33 global geographical areas to 105.
Besides committing to upgrade the skills of students, local developers, and the forthcoming generation of local talent at any level with access to cloud computing skills, AWS plans to inaugurate two novel innovation centers in Saudi Arabia.
Services such as analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), computation, databases, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning (ML), mobile services, storage, and other cloud technologies will be offered by AWS in Saudi Arabia. Clients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East can conform to data residency choices, propel innovation, achieve lower latency, and fulfill the demand for cloud services by employing the advanced technologies of AWS.
“This announcement today champions the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia‘s journey of digital transformation with the finest levels of security and resilience available on AWS cloud infrastructure, addressing the rapidly growing need for cloud services across the Middle East,” mentioned Prasad Kalyanaraman, Vice President of Infrastructure Services at AWS. “The incoming AWS Region will empower organizations to unlock the full potential of the cloud and build with AWS technologies such as compute, storage, databases, analytics, and artificial intelligence, revolutionizing how businesses and institutions serve their customers. We eagerly await assisting Saudi Arabian institutions, startups, and enterprises to deliver cloud-powered applications to fast-track growth, productivity, and advancement, thereby stimulating job creation, skills training, and educational opportunities.”
AWS has plans to construct 18 additional Availability Zones as well as six extra AWS Regions in Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.
Every AWS Availability Zone is interconnected through redundant, ultra-low-latency networks, each equipped with its separate power supply, cooling system and physical security. AWS customers can build applications that operate across various Availability Zones for higher fault tolerance, specifically those who prioritize high availability.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, His Excellency Engineer Abdullah Alswaha, stated that AWS partnership and the announcement of an AWS Region driven by a $5.3 billion investment, ushers in a new era of technological brilliance and innovation for the Kingdom. He further added that this cloud Region symbolizes a strong commitment towards research, innovation and enabling entrepreneurs to attain prosperity for our region and the rest of the world.
AWS plans to increase the breadth of its training programs and accelerate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 target of bolstering women’s contribution in the workforce to promote the expansion of Cloud adoption throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In order to facilitate this goal, AWS and Skillsoft Global Knowledge are working together to introduce the ‘AWS Saudi Arabia Women’s Skills Initiative’. This is a new upskilling program that AWS is set to offer free training on AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials to up to 4,000 women. The program’s objective is to support the women in commencing a career in cloud computing via classroom training led by AWS-certified instructors.
AWS will continue to fund upskilling initiatives targeted at students, local technical experts, developers, nontechnical professionals, as well as the future IT leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through a range of programs like AWS Academy, AWS Educate, AWS re/Start, and AWS Skill Builder. These programs aim to prepare students from various backgrounds and experiences for careers in cloud computing. AWS Training and Certification provide various formats of training to suit individual learning preferences, which range from interactive, game-based learning material to full-time workforce development programs and higher education courses.
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In addition to launching two new innovation centers, AWS plans to educate and mentor tech-savvy businesses in the Middle East and North Africa on AWS technologies such as AI and ML. AWS also plans to provide free AWS Skill Builder memberships for up to 4,000 employees working for small and medium-sized businesses registered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with funding for graduate student research.
AWS Skill Builder, a digital learning platform, offers over 600 free courses that cover more than 30 AWS services across different levels of difficulty, available in up to 14 languages. By ramping up its commitment to provide free digital training, AWS aims to increase the number of diverse candidates entering the talent pipeline. In continuation of this pledge, AWS plans to keep expanding its training initiatives to fast-track the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of increasing women’s participation in the labor field.
AWS Academy is providing ready-to-use cloud computing curriculum to higher education institutions, preparing students for industry-acknowledged certifications and thriving cloud careers. Eleven educational institutes from Saudi Arabia have included AWS Academy courses to their curriculum, some of them being King Khalid University, Majmaah University, and the Communication and Information College in Riyadh. By 2025, AWS is committed to invest millions to offer free cloud computing skills training to 29 million individuals across the globe.
AWS coupled with Amazon have set up Amazon Academy to foster digital skills. It provides instructor-led training and certifications in cloud computing, logistics, and retail to the citizens of Saudi Arabia. The academy is an augmentation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030’s Human Capability Development Program. It aims to train more than 30,000 Saudi residents and offer 35,000 certification vouchers along with 100 internships opportunities.
Amazon Academy is focused on enhancing in-demand skills and preparing Saudi citizens for future and relevant job roles. The academy provides training and certifications for free. It targets to equip the Saudi youth, working professionals at any phase of their careers, and entrepreneurs with necessary skills to excel in various in-demand fields such as leadership, cloud computing, and logistics.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is partnering with Amazon to encourage Saudi talents to enroll into the skills development academy that is managed by Saudi Digital Academy (SDA) and TUWAIQ Academy. This underlines MCIT’s Future Skills initiative. Amazon Academy provides advanced skills training which stem from the company’s knowledge of the Saudi talent environment and its global technological and operational competencies.
To propel individuals and businesses into a digital future, the path of cloud computing is offering certifications from beginner to expert levels in fields such as cloud architecture, AI, ML, data analytics, and other technologies that are ready for immediate industry use.
In a continuing endeavor to enhance women’s skillsets, Amazon has launched a recruitment drive specifically for women delivery associates. The object of these activities is to create opportunities for skills enhancement while equipping women in Saudi Arabia with the tools necessary for thriving careers in e-commerce logistics.
