The United States recently implemented new export control rules for advanced AI and HPC processors, restricting sales to Chinese entities and limiting supplies to select Middle Eastern countries. However, Nvidia believes it can secure an export license to sell its AI GPUs to Ooredoo, a telecommunications giant operating in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait, and the Maldives. This partnership marks Nvidia’s expansion in a region where the US has restricted exports to prevent Chinese access to cutting-edge technologies. Ooredoo’s CEO, Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, sees this agreement as a way for their business customers to gain a competitive edge by offering generative AI applications that their competitors may not have for another 18 to 24 months.
The specific Nvidia GPUs to be supplied and the value of the deal have not been disclosed, but Ooredoo is investing $1 billion to expand its data center capacity by 20-25 megawatts, aiming to almost triple its capacity by the end of the decade. This reflects Ooredoo’s commitment to investing in substantial computing capacity. Additionally, Ooredoo has separated its data centers into a standalone company, with plans to do the same for its undersea cables and fiber network, as part of a strategy to enhance operations and increase competitiveness in the market.
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