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Microsoft Completes Three Azure Availability Zones in Saudi Arabia to Power Generative AI

Turki Badhris, head of Microsoft Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Turki Badhris, head of Microsoft Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Microsoft Completes Three Azure Availability Zones in Saudi Arabia to Power Generative AI

Turki Badhris, head of Microsoft Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Turki Badhris, head of Microsoft Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Microsoft has confirmed the completion of three "availability zones" within its Azure data center region in Saudi Arabia. This development is critical to solidifying the Kingdom's regional leadership in artificial intelligence (AI).

This infrastructure provides "sovereign cloud" capabilities, enabling government entities and the private sector to adopt generative AI technologies locally while fully complying with national regulations.

This move strengthens the Kingdom's position as a secure, compliant, and AI-ready digital hub, aligning directly with Vision 2030 goals. The company's "AI Diffusion 2025 Report" ranked Saudi Arabia among the top three in the Middle East and Africa and among the top 25 countries globally in AI adoption, noting that approximately one-third of users in the Kingdom are now active adopters of AI-enhanced tools, SPA reported.

Regarding national capability development, Microsoft reported that joint training programs have reached more than one million beneficiaries over the past two years. Key initiatives include training over two-thirds of a million participants in the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority's (SDAIA) "SAMAI" initiative, empowering over 5,000 women through specialized programs, and training thousands of students and over 100,000 teachers through partnerships like the AI Academy and the Microsoft Center of Excellence.

The academy’s training has extended to more than 40 universities, producing finalists in international competitions, with intensive camps enabling participants to obtain professional certifications and secure employment for some before graduation.

Microsoft highlighted several examples of the operational impact of its services: Maaden increased productivity and governance, saving more than 2,000 hours per month using Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure OpenAI. Obeikan Investment Group connected over 1,200 machines, achieving a 30% increase in productivity on the O3ai platform.

Saudia Airlines developed a smart travel companion using GPT-4 on Azure OpenAI, and ACWA Power enhanced operational safety and water-quality readings using Azure AI capabilities.

Microsoft concluded by stressing that its role as a technology partner to the Kingdom is expanding in preparation for major events like Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup, and by supporting giga-projects—including NEOM, Qiddiya, and the Red Sea—and enabling digital transformation in key sectors like energy, finance, and logistics.

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Technology

Brew, Smell, and Serve: AI Steals the Show at CES 2026

German group Bosch presented its fully automated 800 Series coffee machine (sold from $1,700) that can be synchronized with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Thomas URBAIN / AFP
German group Bosch presented its fully automated 800 Series coffee machine (sold from $1,700) that can be synchronized with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Thomas URBAIN / AFP
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Brew, Smell, and Serve: AI Steals the Show at CES 2026

German group Bosch presented its fully automated 800 Series coffee machine (sold from $1,700) that can be synchronized with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Thomas URBAIN / AFP
German group Bosch presented its fully automated 800 Series coffee machine (sold from $1,700) that can be synchronized with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. Thomas URBAIN / AFP

AI took over CES 2026, powering coffee machines to brew the perfect espresso, a device to create your perfect scent, and ball-hitting tennis robots that make you forget it's human against machine.

Alexa, make me an espresso

German group Bosch presented a new feature for its fully automated 800 Series coffee machine (sold from $1,700) that can be synchronized with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, said AFP.

After a short night's sleep, users can order a double espresso with voice commands only, and the coffee maker will deliver. Some 35 different espresso options are available.

"We're one of the first manufacturers to really lean in with AI," explained Andrew de Lara, spokesperson for Bosch.

The century-old company, positioned at the high end of the market in the United States, wants to gradually bring AI into the kitchen, notably through its Home Connect mobile app, which already allows users to control several appliances remotely.

Scent of AI

South Korean company DigitalScent has developed a machine, already available in some airports, that creates a personalized fragrance based on your mood and preferences.

Once you have picked your preferences, it releases a scent that gives you an idea of the final result. You can then make adjustments before making your final decision.

Once you have placed your order, the machine uses AI to produce a virtually unique fragrance in a matter of seconds, choosing from a range of over 1,150 combinations.

The fragrance is contained in a small, portable vial, costing $3 to $4, according to a spokesperson.

Game, set, AI

Several start-ups unveiled new-generation ball machines powered by artificial intelligence.

While Singapore-based Sharpa already offers a convincing humanoid table tennis robot with a reaction time of just two hundredths of a second, there is no equivalent on the market for tennis.

A few days ago, China's UBTech posted a video online of its Walker S2 robot playing rallies with a human, but at a slow speed and without any real movement.

UBTech's robots are designed for industrial use rather than tennis courts and, in all likelihood, the video was produced solely to demonstrate the agility of the Walker S2 to attract business customers.

While we wait for the humanoid robot that can volley at the net, another Chinese company, Tenniix, is marketing a robot that sends balls at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour (120.7 kilometers per hour).

It has 10 different shots, some with spin, and even a lob that reaches eight meters high.

The basic version, which can hold up to 100 balls, will set you back $699, but the most complete version, at $1,600, includes cameras and wheels that allow it to move around.

The fast-moving machine uses AI to analyze the trajectory of your cross-court forehand and fires off a ball from about where a real-life return shot would most likely come, giving the player the impression of a real rally.

"There's a real rhythm," says Run Kai Huang, spokesperson for Tenniix, "as if you were playing with a real person."

Technology

Award-Winning Game Studio Chief Rules Out AI Art

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. (Reuters)
AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. (Reuters)
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Award-Winning Game Studio Chief Rules Out AI Art

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. (Reuters)
AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration created on June 23, 2023. (Reuters)

The head of Larian Studios, the developers behind 2023's game of the year "Baldur's Gate 3", has vowed to ban any use of AI art in the outfit's upcoming project "Divinity".

The intervention by Swen Vincke follows repeated episodes of fan outrage over AI art in games in recent months -- with this year's game of the year winner "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" stripped of its Indie Game Awards wins over alleged use of generative AI.

"There is not going to be any GenAI (generative AI) art in 'Divinity'," Vincke said Friday in an "Ask Me Anything" session on discussion site Reddit.

Fans had blasted Larian last month after Vincke told Bloomberg some generative AI was being used during development.

"We already said this doesn't mean the actual concept art is generated by AI, but we understand it created confusion," Vincke posted on Friday.

"To ensure there is no room for doubt, we've decided to refrain from using GenAI tools during concept art development," he added.

Vincke had said in December that the team's use of generative AI was "to explore references, just like we use Google and art books... at the very early ideation stages".

The new "Divinity" -- revealed to great fanfare at the December 11 Game Awards in Los Angeles -- is hotly awaited by gamers enthralled by the sprawling story and engaging characters of "Baldur's Gate 3", which has sold more than 20 million copies.

Despite his commitment on AI art, Vincke said that generative AI "can help" with other aspects of development, as studios "continuously try to improve the speed with which we can try things out".

He insisted that would benefit gamers through "a more focused development cycle, less waste, and ultimately, a higher-quality game".

Some executives believe generative AI's infusion into the industry will lead to a flowering of more ambitious titles that cost less to produce.

But they are running up against artists' fears that they will be pushed out of work and some gamers' concern that AI use will make for blander, less creative work.

French title "Expedition 33" saw its Indie Game Awards titles including "game of the year" withdrawn last year over some AI-generated art assets, which developers Sandfall Interactive insists were placeholders that it replaced in an update to the final game.

Technology

Lenovo Unveils AI Agent to Bridge PCs, Phones and Wearables at CES

Attendees gather for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6, 2026. (AFP)
Attendees gather for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6, 2026. (AFP)
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Lenovo Unveils AI Agent to Bridge PCs, Phones and Wearables at CES

Attendees gather for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6, 2026. (AFP)
Attendees gather for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6, 2026. (AFP)

Lenovo, the world's top PC maker, unveiled its own AI assistant Tuesday at the CES tech show in Las Vegas, promising a tool that follows users seamlessly across laptops, smartphones and connected devices.

The Beijing-based company commanded 28 percent of global PC market share in the third quarter of 2025, ahead of rivals HP at 21.5 percent and Dell at 14.5 percent, according to US research firm Gartner.

Lenovo's new artificial intelligence agent, dubbed Qira, is designed as an autonomous interface capable of performing tasks rather than simply generating content on demand, a move Lenovo hopes will showcase the breadth of its product portfolio.

Unlike rivals focused on single categories, Lenovo was the only major manufacturer whose offering spanned laptops, tablets and smartphones -- under its Motorola brand, acquired in 2014 -- as well as servers and even supercomputers.

The company also unveiled prototypes of connected glasses and an AI-powered pendant, still in testing, that captures "important moments" with user consent by recording conversations, said Motorola's Angelina Gomez.

Codenamed the AI Perceptive Companion, the pendant features a microphone and camera and "sees what you see and hears what your hear," Lenovo vice president Luca Rossi told reporters.

An interaction with Qira can start via the pendant, continue on a smartphone and end on a laptop, with the agent retaining user context across devices.

It can summarize the highlights of a user's day, draft and send emails, or even select photos from archives to post on social media.

Lenovo stressed it is not positioning Qira as a rival to Microsoft's Copilot and announced the integration of Copilot into Motorola smartphones.

For major hardware makers, the challenge now is proving the utility of generative AI in everyday applications rather than simply flaunting cutting-edge tech.

Amid lingering geopolitical tensions with Washington, Lenovo was the only Chinese firm to take center stage at CES, choosing Las Vegas's futuristic Sphere venue for its showcase.

Executives emphasized the company's global footprint, with most revenue generated outside China and several top managers from overseas.