Bahrain EDB participates in Datacloud Global Congress 2024

Cannes, June 6 (BNA):  The Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), in collaboration with the Gulf Data Center Association (GDCA), participated in the Datacloud Global Congress 2024, held in France, from June 4-6.

Members of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) engaged with leading data centre operators, hyperscalers, cloud providers, software vendors, and key industry stakeholders from major global markets, gaining valuable insights into the latest trends and challenges shaping the digital infrastructure landscape.

During the conference, Bahrain’s competitive advantages as an attractive destination for data centre and cloud computing investments were highlighted to potential investors.

Musab Abdullah, Executive Director of Business Development for the ICT sector at Bahrain EDB, underscored the importance of the event in providing a networking platform to exchange experiences and promote Bahrain as a tech hub for companies seeking to expand their footprint in the region.

“We are excited to participate in the 2024 edition of Datacloud Global Congress. It’s the perfect platform for us to network with the industry’s key global players,” he added.

“Backed by the government’s forward-thinking approach, unparalleled operating cost advantages, highly skilled future-ready talent, and a strategic location with excellent global digital connectivity, Bahrain has earned its standing as the destination of choice for data centres in the MENA region.”

He also participated in a panel that reviewed the growing wave of digital infrastructure projects across the Middle East alongside high-level speakers from NEOM’s cognitive technology company, Tonomus, Khazna Data Centers, STL Partners, and Quantum Switch.  The panel also discussed challenges in designing and building digital ecosystems, the intricacies of planning for the rise of AI-led and smart cities, investment opportunities, and key developments within Middle Eastern markets.

The launch of the region’s first Amazon Web Services (AWS) hyperscale data centre in Bahrain in 2018 has driven massive growth in data traffic towards MENA.  Moreover, it stands to create a clustering effect as other global providers turn their attention to the increasingly attractive region, with Bahrain well positioned as the tried and tested destination of choice with the implementation of proactive initiatives such as the Government’s Cloud-First Policy, the passing of the data jurisdiction law and the availability of nationwide 5G networks.

Datacloud Global Congress is one of the leading events in the tech industry.  The 2024 edition gathered over 2,800 key decision-makers from the finance, technology, and energy sectors, alongside leading data centre providers and government agencies in the heart of the French Riviera, to network, close deals, and gain insights from world-class digital infrastructure experts.

ZH