By Alice Chambers |
Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s largest oil company, will explore how Microsoft AI can speed up and smarten its operations. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deploy industrial solutions on Microsoft Azure.
Beyond technology, the partnership will also focus on developing digital and technical skills across the Kingdom, including AI engineering, cybersecurity, data governance and product management.
“This marks the next step in our long-standing collaboration with Aramco, exploring how industrial AI can move from pilots into core operations to improve efficiency and resilience at scale,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. “Our focus is on building strong foundations – sovereign-ready digital infrastructure, trusted governance and the skills needed for responsible industrial AI adoption.”
The new plans expand on Microsoft’s broader work in Saudi Arabia, having already trained thousands of learners in cloud computing, AI and data-related disciplines as part of its commitment to strengthening the country’s digital economy.
“Aramco is driving the energy sector’s digital transformation by creating a secure, intelligent and collaborative digital ecosystem,” said Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter, executive vice president of technology and innovation at Aramco. “In partnership with Microsoft, we seek further scale cutting-edge digital and AI solutions in that sector to achieve efficiency and innovation, without compromising the highest standards of security and governance.”