Google will invest $2 billion in Malaysia to establish its first data center and “cloud region” in the country, the government announced Thursday.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry confirmed the commitment from Google, which amounts to 9.4 billion ringgit, to develop the tech giant’s initial data center and cloud region in Malaysia.
This investment is expected to support 26,500 jobs across various sectors in Malaysia, including healthcare, education, and finance, according to the ministry’s statement.
Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and its parent company Alphabet, highlighted the significance of this investment. “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,” she said.
Porat added that this initiative builds on Google’s partnership with the Malaysian government to advance its “Cloud First Policy,” which includes implementing top-tier cybersecurity standards.
Google’s investment comes on the heels of a pledge by US tech giant Microsoft to invest $2.2 billion in artificial intelligence and cloud computing in Malaysia.
