Databricks to invest $300m in Saudi expansion
New regional headquarters in Riyadh to drive AI adoption and upskill workforce
#Saudi #ArtificialIntelligence – Global data, analytics and AI company Databricks has announced plans to invest up to $300 million in Saudi Arabia over the next five years, to support AI adoption, data intelligence, and upskilling the workforce. First announced at LEAP25, the vendor expects the investment to fuel local AI initiatives, drive strategic partnerships, and enable more enterprises to integrate AI-driven analytics. As part of this expansion, Databricks has opened a new regional office in Riyadh and launched a training partnership with Tuwaiq Academy.
SO WHAT? – A long list of technology companies have announced multimillion dollar investments in Saudi Arabia over the past few years, as the Kingdom’s spending power continues to increase. According to global research firm IDC, the country’s ICT spending was about $36.6 billion last year. Databricks helps large organisations connect their data to intelligence and AI. So the company’s investment announcement is a clear signal that many Saudi organisations are now becoming intensive users of AI for analytics and business intelligence, boosting local demand for the talent, tools and compute capacity.
Here are some key points regarding the Databricks announcement:
Databricks has committed to invest up to $300 million over five years to help accelerate AI and data adoption in Saudi Arabia, following the opening of its new regional headquarters in Riyadh.
Databricks Riyadh office was officially opened in December 2024.
The investment will finance the expansion of Databricks Saudi operations, additional support for its data intelligence platform, and strategic partnerships to upskill Saudi citizens with the latest skills in data engineering and AI.
The first new partnership to be announced is with Tuwaiq Academy, a national organisations focused on technology education and training, appointing the academy as the first authorised Databricks training partner in Saudi Arabia.
Databricks certifications recognised by Saudi Arabia’s Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), with financial support for test-takers from the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF).
Databricks Data Intelligence Platform helps businesses optimise AI applications, from healthcare to finance and climate solutions.
Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has helped facilitate Databricks recognising the company as a key ecosystem player.