Google Cloud Boasts Consistent Service Across Region, US

CEO of Google Cloud Thomas Kurian (Google)
CEO of Google Cloud Thomas Kurian (Google)
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Google Cloud Boasts Consistent Service Across Region, US

CEO of Google Cloud Thomas Kurian (Google)
CEO of Google Cloud Thomas Kurian (Google)

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the “Google Cloud Next ‘24” event in Las Vegas, affirmed that Google Cloud’s presence in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait sets it apart from its digital cloud competitors.

Kurian pointed out that the services offered by his company in those countries are the same as those provided in the US, ensuring global consistency and uniformity.

He noted that while some other service providers offer similar services, not all are available in these countries compared to Google Cloud.

Kurian emphasized that Google Cloud provides a “grocery store” of choices catering to the diverse needs of businesses, stressing that a one-size-fits-all artificial intelligence model won't suffice, as companies require a cloud platform offering multiple services to tailor to their specific needs.

Meanwhile, Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al-Thehaiban, the managing director of Google Cloud for the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa region (META), stated that artificial intelligence will revolutionize industries and businesses.

He highlighted that governments and organizations in the Middle East are reaping the full benefits of Google Cloud’s investments in artificial intelligence, particularly through its hubs in Dammam and Doha launched in May and November last year.



Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.