KUALA LUMPUR: Google will invest $2 billion in Malaysia to house the firm’s first data center in the country, the government said Thursday, making it the latest tech titan to pump cash into the region in search of growth opportunities.
The government said the cash would support 26,500 jobs across various sectors in Malaysia, including health care, education, and finance, and comes days after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim targeted at least $107 billion in investments for the semiconductor industry.
Anwar said in April that he planned to build Southeast Asia’s largest integrated circuit design park, while offering incentives including tax breaks and subsidies to attract global tech companies and investors.
Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and its parent firm Alphabet, said: “Google’s first data center and Google Cloud region is our largest planned investment so far in Malaysia — a place Google has been proud to call home for 13 years.
“This investment builds on our partnership with the Malaysian government to advance its ‘Cloud First Policy’, including best-in-class cybersecurity standards.”
Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the cash “will significantly advance” Malaysia’s digital ambitions outlined in a 2030 masterplan.
He added that the data center and cloud region “will empower our manufacturing and service-based industries to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies to move up the global value chain.”
Earlier this month Microsoft said it would spend $2.2 billion on AI and cloud computing in Malaysia, with boss Satya Nadella pledging to invest billions in Thailand and Indonesia during a tour of the region.
And Amazon said it would spend $9 billion in Singapore over the next four years to expand its cloud computing capabilities in the city.
The facility announced on Thursday will be located at a business park west of the capital Kuala Lumpur and will power Google’s popular digital services such as Search, Maps, and Workspace.
“When operational, Malaysia will join the 11 countries where Google has built and currently operates data centers to serve users around the world,” the statement said.
The Google Cloud region “will deliver high-performance and low-latency cloud infrastructure, analytics, and AI services to large enterprises, startups, and public sector organizations,” it added.
A key player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch.
Research by global consulting firm Kearney showed AI was poised to contribute $1 trillion to Southeast Asia’s gross domestic product by 2030, with Malaysia predicted to see more than a tenth of that.
“Now that many of these American tech giants are diversifying their investment risks away from China, Malaysia with its traditional involvement in high-tech industry is in a good position to welcome the relocation of their operations,” said Oh Ei Sun, an analyst with the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia.
Google to invest $2 bn in data center in Malaysia
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Google to invest $2 bn in data center in Malaysia
- Firm’s first data center in the country will support creatioin of an estimated 26,500 jobs
University of Hong Kong hosts the first Saudi Economic Forum to boost China–Saudi ties
- The high-level event served as a new platform for bilateral dialogue and cross-sector collaboration
RIYADH: The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has hosted the first-ever Saudi Economic Forum in Riyadh, bringing together nearly 100 senior officials, academics, and business leaders to deepen cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in education, innovation, and economic growth.
Held under the theme “Enhancing the Global Competitiveness of Chinese and Saudi Institutions,” the forum marked a significant milestone in advancing strategic alignment between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030.
The high-level event served as a new platform for bilateral dialogue and cross-sector collaboration, with participants exploring joint opportunities in investment, technology, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence.
Professor Hongbin Cai, dean of the faculty of business and economics at HKU, said the university aspires to become a “knowledge bridge” between the two nations, leveraging its global standing and extensive international networks. He noted that educational collaboration would be a cornerstone of the Saudi–Chinese partnership.
Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Investment, Fahad Al-Hashem, emphasized the depth of the China–Saudi partnership, noting that bilateral trade now exceeds $150 billion, with a growth rate of around 30 percent annually.
He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s openness to partnerships with China’s leading universities and technology companies, particularly in future-focused sectors aligned with Vision 2030, including education, digital transformation, AI, and clean energy.
The forum featured panel discussions on cross-border education, global city development, and technology transfer, with experts stressing the importance of joint ventures in the digital economy and smart infrastructure.
Participants said Saudi Arabia could benefit from China’s successful experiences in energy transition, infrastructure modernization, and innovation ecosystems as it builds globally competitive cities and institutions.
The Saudi Economic Forum concluded with calls for sustained academic and corporate partnerships to enhance institutional excellence and global competitiveness. Organizers said the initiative will continue to facilitate knowledge exchange and support national transformation goals in both countries, namely in the fields of technology and innovation.
