Zoom Opens New Saudi Data Centre to Expand Local AI and Cloud Capacity
Zoom has launched a new data centre in Saudi Arabia as part of its efforts to strengthen local infrastructure, improve cloud capacity and support organisations with data residency requirements. The expansion is aimed at enterprises and government entities that need secure in-country data storage and compliant digital services.
The new facility is hosted at centre3, a provider of carrier-neutral data centres and subsea cable systems. According to the company, the deployment supports a wider regional investment strategy that includes a US$75 million commitment focused on artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The Saudi data centre is designed to serve organisations with strict compliance and security requirements, including critical national infrastructure bodies and large corporate clients. It also builds on Zoom’s existing regional presence, following the launch of a data centre in the Middle East in 2023.
Mohannad AlKalash, Vice President of Zoom for the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Pakistan, said the new facility enhances the company’s ability to support customers locally and reflects confidence in Saudi Arabia’s long-term digital vision.
“The new data centre bolsters our ability to support customers locally and demonstrates our belief in the country’s vision for a more connected, AI-powered future,” AlKalash said.
The launch comes as Zoom continues to broaden its enterprise offering. Alongside the infrastructure announcement, the company introduced new productivity tools for business users, including ZoomMate, an AI assistant intended to help manage workflow tasks. Zoom also unveiled a productivity suite that can generate reports and presentations based on meeting context.
The combination of local infrastructure and AI-enabled tools suggests Zoom is seeking to deepen its positioning in markets where digital sovereignty, cloud performance and enterprise-grade collaboration tools are increasingly important.
Local Data Residency and Enterprise Demand
Saudi Arabia has been accelerating investment in digital infrastructure across public and private sectors, with increasing attention on data localisation, cloud adoption and AI readiness. Zoom’s new data centre aligns with those priorities by providing more local capacity for customers that require regional hosting and lower-latency service delivery.
For regulated industries, local hosting can be a key factor in vendor selection, particularly where compliance obligations limit the storage or processing of sensitive data outside national borders. The company’s move may therefore help it strengthen its appeal among government users and large enterprises operating in tightly regulated environments.
Industry Analysis
Zoom’s expansion in Saudi Arabia highlights the growing importance of regional cloud and AI infrastructure in the Middle East. As more organisations pursue digital transformation, service providers are under pressure to offer secure, locally hosted solutions that support compliance and performance needs. Investments such as this can also help global technology firms better compete for enterprise contracts in markets where data residency is becoming a standard requirement rather than a differentiator.
At the same time, the launch reflects a broader shift in enterprise software strategy: infrastructure, AI tools and productivity applications are increasingly being delivered as part of a connected ecosystem. For Zoom, strengthening its regional infrastructure base may support future adoption of its AI-powered collaboration features across regulated sectors and large-scale enterprise customers.
