Energy and chemicals giant Aramco has struck a memorandum of understanding with Cloudera to develop AI-powered solutions and applications that support the growth of the digital oil and gas sector in Saudi Arabia.
The proposed partnership will see the Saudi state-owned oil company work with the data and AI platform to “localise cutting-edge technologies, create new opportunities, and drive sustainable growth in the country” both parties announced.
The aim of the MoU is for Aramco to work with Cloudera to upskill Saudi talent in areas including data engineering, data science and analytics. Cloudera will help develop a number of skills programs to be ran in the Middle Eastern country.
Ahmad Issa, regional vice president of the Middle East for Cloudera, said: “In seeking to collaborate with Aramco, our goal is to empower local professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in a data-driven economy.
“By investing in human capital, we’re supporting individual careers while contributing to the broader ecosystem of innovation and growth in Saudi Arabia.”
The partnership will also see Aramco and Cloudera jointly develop and implement data-driven solutions based on the latter’s platform, with the aim of boosting Aramco’s operational efficiency and competitiveness.
The parties have also agreed to explore research and development opportunities, exploring emerging trends and technological advances in fields including big data, AI, and data science.
Cloudera and Aramco will “pool resources and expertise” to develop innovative initiatives and AI-powered solutions that can help tackle some of the challenges facing the digital oil and gas sector in Saudi Arabia.
Cloudera claims its hybrid data-cloud solutions helps global enterprises securely manage data across environments while maintaining unified governance and real-time analytics capabilities.
Issa concluded: “As we are seeking to collaborate with Aramco, we reaffirm our commitment to helping enterprises accelerate their AI aspirations in a secure and responsible way. Together, we plan to unlock the true potential of data and support Saudi Arabia’s digital economy.”