Investment will support regional headquarters and hiring, AI skills development, and expanding cloud infrastructure, partner ecosystem, and broader operations in the Kingdom.
Snowflake formally inaugurates its META regional headquarters in Riyadh, to better serve local customers and reinforce the company’s long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia
Snowflake’s projected $300m investment and its partnership with MCIT will accelerate the expansion of Snowflake’s local operations, and equip up to 25,000 Saudi learners with critical data and AI skills by 2030 through the One Million Minds programme
Snowflake will expand its AI Data Cloud with two additional cloud regions in the second half of 2026, supporting data residency and sovereignty requirements
Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, has announced a projected $300m (approximately SAR 1.125 billion) investment through 2030, and will work alongside the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), which supports technology companies investing in the local market, as part of its long-term commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and alignment to Vision 2030
The announcement comes as Saudi Arabia continues to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across its economy. AI use among Saudi businesses increased by 20% year-on-year in 2025, according to the General Authority for Statistics, increasing the need for secure, governed access to enterprise data. To support the growth in AI and Vision 2030, Snowflake’s investment will focus on three key areas
To support local customer requirements, Snowflake has officially announced the opening of its Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) regional headquarters (RHQ) in Saudi Arabia. Established in 2024, the RHQ will continue to invest in growing its local team, developing the regional partner ecosystem, and in broader operations in Saudi Arabia.
With MCIT’s focus on a cloud-first policy to drive digital transformation and local skills development, Snowflake and MCIT will jointly deliver the One Million Minds programme to enable data and AI upskilling for up to 25,000 learners
In addition to Snowflake’s Google Cloud Dammam region, the company will launch two additional cloud regions in Saudi Arabia in the second half of 2026; offering a truly multi-cloud experience, giving customers greater flexibility to choose the cloud environment that best meets their business, data residency and sovereignty requirements
MCIT will support Snowflake’s expansion of operations in Saudi Arabia by connecting and unlocking opportunities with local entities, networking and scaling operations. A central focus of the collaboration will be to upskill up to 25,000 people over the next five years with critical data and AI skills for the future, through the One Million Minds programme. Delivered with MCIT, the career-focused programme will combine virtual and in-person training on the Snowflake platform. Participants will gain practical data and AI capabilities through Snowflake University, earn certificates and build real-world data and AI projects, with networking and mentorship opportunities available through the Saudi Arabia Data and AI Community. The initiative will also bring Snowflake Academia to the Middle East for the first time, helping universities integrate current data and AI technologies into their curricula and supporting Saudi’s development of a future-ready technology workforce
“Saudi Arabia has made data, AI and human capital development central to its economic transformation, creating a strong environment for long-term technology investment,” said Michel Nader, Regional Vice President (RVP) for the Middle East, Turkey & Africa, at Snowflake. “Our projected $300 million investment reflects Snowflake’s confidence in Saudi Arabia and its digital future. Through our global mission to help every enterprise achieve its full potential through data and AI, we intend to contribute meaningfully to Vision 2030 and support the next phase of the nation’s technology ecosystem”
Snowflake already supports organisations across Saudi Arabia, including Red Sea Global, O3sigma, Zahid Group, Almarai, Foodics, Rime and Jeeny. Through its RHQ in Riyadh and expanded investment in Saudi Arabia, Snowflake will continue working with customers, partners and government stakeholders to broaden access to the AI Data Cloud, strengthen local technical capabilities and contribute to Saudi Arabia’s growing data and AI economy
