Haboob, a leading cybersecurity service provider owned by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP), announces its partnership with Google Cloud to deliver Chronicle CyberShield to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This marks the first time Chronicle CyberShield will be offered in a managed services model in the Kingdom, aiming to bolster cybersecurity services for public sector organizations.Chronicle CyberShield is a comprehensive solution that provides technology, processes, capabilities, and resources to deliver situational awareness of the cyber threat landscape. It is uniquely designed for government entities to share threat information, help accelerate investigations and initiate a united response against persistent and ever-evolving threats proactively and rapidly. Haboob and Google Cloud are addressing the rising demand for cloud services in the Kingdom in alignment with the Saudi government’s Vision 2030 goals of digital transformation. With businesses and the government sector rapidly adopting a wide range of new technologies, the cyber threat landscape in Saudi Arabia has also undergone a rapid shift, and the nation’s cybersecurity preparedness continues to be a top priority.Running on Google Cloud’s infrastructure, Chronicle CyberShield is capable of ingesting large amounts of data and conducting analytics within seconds. This can be a crucial factor when protecting one of the top 20 global economies and dealing with diverse data sources across various organisations and industries.Haboob is spearheading the nationwide implementation of this solution, including the launch of a modernised Government Security Operations Centre in Saudi Arabia, with advanced threat intelligence capabilities, enabling proactive detection and response to threats and incidents.As part of the partnership, Haboob will also have access to a range of services from cybersecurity leader, Mandiant, part of Google Cloud. These services include incident response capabilities, compromise and cyber defence assessments, and red teaming, in order to help protect key customer assets.The CEO of Haboob, Eng. Saleh Alhaqbani, stated their keenness to provide their services to a wide range of clients in government and private sectors, which reflects great confidence in their ability to meet their needs in the cybersecurity sector, and stressed the importance of managed security monitoring services, which are growing significantly due to the legislation and security controls of the National Cybersecurity Authority as well as the great risks resulting from cyber threats and new and complex methods of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) to bypass and penetrate technical systems.The CEO also added that Haboob is delivering a managed security monitoring service in partnership with Google Cloud using Google Chronicle Cybershield, which is supported by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that helps enable it to detect complex cyber threats, as Haboob seeks to contribute to creating a safe cyberspace and achieving its strategic goals that have been worked on to align them with Saudi Vision 2030’s strategic goals.Stuart McKenzie, Managing Director EMEA, Mandiant Consulting, part of Google Cloud said: "As Saudi Arabia progresses toward its Vision 2030 plan, the demand for cybersecurity solutions continues to rise. Haboob is uniquely positioned to meet this need and to bring Chronicle CyberShield to the Kingdom. Their strong reputation, combined with Google Cloud’s advanced technology, threat intelligence and Mandiant consulting capabilities, will form the basis of a long-term partnership to help protect the nation against advanced cyber threats."The news was revealed on stage at Black Hat MEA at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center by Stuart McKenzie and Saleh Alhaqbani.

Doha: Today, Google Cloud announced the opening of its Doha cloud region at an official launch event attended by ministers from the Qatari Cabinet and executives from leading Qatari businesses, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Qatar Free Zone Authority (QFZ). The new cloud region will meet growing demand for cloud services in Qatar and the Middle East region and support Qatar’s National Vision 2030 that aims to transform the country into a digital economy through innovation and digital transformation. According to research commissioned by Google Cloud and conducted by Access Partnership, the new Doha cloud region is expected to drive increased economic activity and is estimated to contribute a cumulative 18.9 billion USD in higher gross economic output to the economy of Qatar between 2023 and 2030 and support the creation of 25,000 jobs in 2030 alone. This new cloud region is the latest significant investment made by Google Cloud in Qatar, following the recent opening of a country office and virtual center of excellence (CoE) in Msheireb.The series of investments in infrastructure and resources demonstrates Google Cloud’s continued commitment to playing a pivotal role in advancing Qatar’s digital future and technological capabilities. MCIT and the Qatari government have helped enable the growth of cloud across the government through the adoption of cloud policies, which facilitated Google Cloud's market entry. His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: “The launch of the first Google Cloud region in Qatar fits into our comprehensive vision to achieve the desired goals of Qatar National Vision 2030, including the establishment of a strong digital infrastructure with internationally agreed standards and policies that will lead us all towards a more efficient economy based on digitalization and technology to facilitate quality of life and provide convenient solutions for various sectors. The new cloud region will contribute to giving impetus to economic and productivity growth, and will allow various government and private companies and institutions within Qatar the opportunity to achieve significant efficiency gains by adopting flexible features in dealing with digital technology.”H.E. Ahmad Al Sayed, Minister of State and Chairman of Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) said: “The launch of the new Google Cloud region in Qatar marks a significant milestone in our growing partnership with Google Cloud that started in 2020 with an agreement to establish Google Cloud’s region in Doha. We are proud to provide world-class cloud services from the free zones in Qatar, this is in addition to QFZ’s pivotal role in introducing disruptive technologies and advanced digital infrastructure, creating opportunities for businesses to enhance their capabilities, foster innovation, and advance the technology sector in the State. This will further accelerate Qatar’s digital transformation and the realization of Qatar National Vision 2030 that aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy.”QFZ and Google Cloud’s strategic collaboration agreement to enable in-country Google Cloud presence was announced in early 2020. QFZ’s continued support of the launch of the Center of Excellence has helped the growth of the technology ecosystem in Qatar.Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is excited at the opportunity offered by Google setting up its Cloud region in Qatar. This gives us the ability to innovate jointly with Google and leverage their rich Cloud service offerings. We are particularly keen to use AI/ML driven data insights using Google Cloud as a platform for enhancing our world-acclaimed customer service whilst also improving our operational efficiencies. Areas like data driven predictive maintenance will now be much easier with Google Cloud being in Qatar and our data residing here securely.” His Excellency Mr. Nasser Ghanem Al-Khelaifi, Chairman of beIN Media Group, said, “We are delighted to enter this major new partnership with Google Cloud, which will help beIN embrace latest technologies and innovations. As a proud Qatari media group, we are always looking to innovate as a business and find ways to improve the experience of millions of our subscribers worldwide. In partnership with Google Cloud, beIN will help drive the continued digital transformation of the sports, entertainment and media industry, both in Qatar and globally.”Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Financial Center said: “Our partnership with Google Cloud affirms our shared desire to facilitate the growth of local businesses by providing opportunities and solutions that enable them to capitalize on the transformative benefits of technology and digitalisation. Working with Google in this field builds up the support we provide our clients, particularly those in the financial services sector, and takes us steps forward in our mission to support the transformation of Qatar into a digital and fintech hub and the country's sustainable development in line with the national development plan.”Ahmed AlFahad, Executive Director of Technology & Network Operations, Al Jazeera Media Network stated: “We are delighted to be among the group of companies leveraging Google Cloud’s new cloud region in Qatar. The new region will help Al Jazeera positively impact and empower more customers and partners around the world. Our collaboration with Google Cloud has helped us deliver tremendous value added services to news readers around the globe. We are able to capture and analyze how people engage with news in real-time and translate these insights into actions that help us keep the world better informed. We believe that with the cloud region now in Qatar, we are going to be strongly positioned to deliver exceptional news coverage and drive deeper engagement to all the information.”Adaire Fox-Martin, President, Google Cloud Go-to-Market, said: “We are proud to be delivering on the commitment we made in 2020 to the Government of Qatar and the business community to open a cloud region in the country. The economy of Qatar holds tremendous growth potential. The Doha cloud region will be a catalyst for economic development and will create more employment opportunities in the Qatari market as more businesses grow and expand with the power of cloud technologies. We are also humbled by the presence of Qatari Cabinet Ministers and leaders from Qatari businesses at the region launch event today, which reflects the endorsement of the new cloud regions' potential.”The new Doha region is part of Google Cloud’s global network of 37 regions and 112 zones that bring cloud services to over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The new region brings high-performance, low-latency services and products to customers of all sizes, from public sector organizations, to large enterprises, to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups in Qatar and the Middle East. Organizations in the region will benefit from key controls that allow them to maintain the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards, including specific data storage requirements.Today’s news was revealed as part of a keynote by Adaire Fox-Martin, President, Go-to-Market, Google Cloud, at the company’s launch event held at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC). The event was attended by over 1,200 participants from Qatar’s top decision makers, government officials, CIOs, CXOs and IT community. 

Dubai: Visa announced today the appointment of Tarek Abdalla as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA). He started his position on May 2nd.Based in Dubai and reporting to Frank Cooper III, Visa’s global Chief Marketing Officer, Tarek will help Visa expand and grow its presence across the CEMEA region, driving demand for Visa’s products, services, and solutions, amplifying Visa’s purpose through campaigns and activations and delivering value through our global sponsorships.“Tarek joins at an exciting time when clients have never been more engaged and connected with Visa as a brand and an essential service provider that both enables and empowers their everyday lives and businesses,” said Andrew Torre, Regional President for CEMEA, Visa.Tarek brings Visa a wealth of industry experience gained over more than two decades, having worked previously as General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia at TikTok, where he successfully led teams in nine regional offices, delivering user growth, profitability, and commercialization targets for the platform through a dynamic mix of content strategy, marketing, and partnerships.Prior to this, Tarek spent a decade with Google, rising to the role of Regional Marketing Director, leading marketing teams across emerging markets in Europe, Middle East, and Africa.“I’m excited to be joining Visa, the world leader in digital payments and one of the most trusted brands,” said Tarek. “I look forward bringing Visa’s purpose to life, uplifting everyone everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.”Tarek holds an MBA from Sheffield Business School, a postgraduate diploma from the International Advertising Association, and a bachelor’s degree with honors from the American University in Cairo. Married with two children, Tarek is an avid reader, keen traveler and a fan of motorsports.

Dubai:  Redington, an integrated technology solutions provider, has announced a new partnership with Google Cloud, a suite of leading cloud computing services offered by Google Cloud. The latest milestone partnership will see Redington working in close quarters with its extensive and highly qualified channel partners to accelerate the adoption of Google Workspace and Google Cloud across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.Regional customers are increasingly investing in cloud applications and services as they implement cloud-first strategies to ensure seamless business growth and continuity. Customers are seeking experts to support their transition to cloud-led models and Redington along with its channel ecosystem are perfectly positioned to do so.A renowned cloud leader in the region and serving customers from across SMBs, public sectors and enterprises, Redington has built a successful and thriving cloud practice for its partner community over the last few years. The company’s vision is to be the most valued consulting distributor across the globe to simplify cloud adoption. To achieve this, Redington is offering a unified platform that integrates its capabilities and offerings together with its community of partners and vendors to deliver unparalleled excellence. The company has also created competencies to ensure highest levels of seamless and enhanced experiences for the cloud community.Redington is continuously enhancing its proprietary CloudQuarks platform for cloud subscriptions, renewals, and billing, which play a central role in enabling partners operating across the region to bring solutions to market quickly and efficiently. TrackMyCloud (TMC), a key component of CloudQuarks, is an intelligent SaaS platform designed to be an all-in-one solution to manage complex, sophisticated cloud. TMC offers a bouquet of five solutions with 800+ features, simplifying monitoring and optimization of spends, done on managing the cloud infrastructure. The vendor agnostic and user-friendly platform allows partners to build their cloud capabilities and expand their value-added services for customers across industries.Moreover, Redington, besides its large-scale partner network, has created a close-knit ecosystem of cloud-native Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), helping partners to offer enhanced experiences for their customers with innovative solutions in the cloud space.From new business models to bespoke tools and specialised services, Redington has made itself indispensable to partners and continues to empower them to support customers’ cloud goals.Viswanath Pallasena, Chief Executive Officer, Redington Middle East and Africa said, “Over the last few years, we have strengthened our cloud capabilities and introduced cloud-specific enablement programs for our channel partners – and today we are a clear market leader in the space. With the addition of a world-class solution suite like Google Cloud, we are now better equipped than ever before to cater to the regional cloud demands and accelerate cloud adoption and transformation journeys. We look forward to a long lasting and successful collaboration with Google Cloud.”“As global enterprises accelerate their digital transformation journeys, knowledge and expertise in Google Cloud technologies play a critical role in successful enterprise cloud migration,” said Eric Buck, director of commercial partners and global distribution, Google Cloud. “By expanding its global support of Google Cloud offerings across the MENA Region, Redington Gulf is able to provide more organizations with greater access to the cloud experts and technologies that will ultimately drive more positive business outcomes.”

The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) and Google Cloud have announced a new collaboration aimed at enabling women in the world to practice new jobs in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning in emerging markets by training more than 25,000 women over the next five years.The collaboration includes a program offers a 4-month education and training curriculum developed in collaboration with Google Cloud. The participants will have access to free training sessions designed to provide them with the skills and experience needed for roles such as cloud engineer, data engineer, and machine learning engineer.This came during the second Global AI Summit, held at King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh from 13 to 15 September, 2022.