Google announces a $2 billion investment in Malaysia, and the government praises 26,500 jobs | technology

The tech giant says the investment in the Southeast Asian country will “pave the way to deliver the transformative power of artificial intelligence.”

Google has announced that it will invest $2 billion in Malaysia to establish its first data center and “cloud region” in the Southeast Asian country.

“This investment is not just about infrastructure; it is about unlocking new possibilities for businesses, educators and every Malaysian,” Farhan Qureshi, Google Malaysia country director, said in a blog post on Thursday.

Qureshi said the Google data center will power services such as Google Search and Google Maps and “pave the way to deliver the transformative power of artificial intelligence to users and customers across the country.”

Qureshi said the Google Cloud region will offer “high-performance, low-latency cloud services” to enterprises, startups and public sector organizations along with “key controls that allow them to maintain the highest standards of security and compliance.”

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the investment will add $3.2 billion to the country’s economy and create 26,500 jobs by 2030.

“The investment related to Google’s first data center in Malaysia and the development of the Google Cloud region is proof that the government’s clear planning as well as the country’s economic strength and resources are attractive to existing and new investors,” Anwar said in a Twitter post. X.

“Undoubtedly, this positions Malaysia as one of the leading countries in the use and support of digital technology-based services.”

Google’s announcement comes several weeks after its competitor Microsoft announced that it would invest $2.2 billion in artificial intelligence and cloud computing in Malaysia.

US technology giants are ramping up investment in Southeast Asia, home to a young, computer-literate population of 670 million and one of the fastest-growing regional economies.

Global consulting firm Kearney has estimated that AI could contribute nearly $1 trillion to Southeast Asia’s GDP by 2030.

Amazon said earlier this month that it would invest $9 billion in Singapore to expand cloud infrastructure in the city-state, following previous announcements of multi-billion-dollar investments in Malaysia and Thailand.