Huawei Cloud and Tuwaiq Academy have finished a five-day training programme for senior decision-makers in Saudi Arabia. It took place from August 24 to 28 in Riyadh and focused on cloud fundamentals and how leaders can utilise them to support growth. The programme follows a memorandum of understanding signed in February 2025 and fits into ongoing talent development work across the Kingdom.
What happened
A focused programme for executives brought together leaders from government and industry. The goal was straightforward: to help them understand cloud building blocks and make informed choices.
- Five-day schedule: 24–28 August in Riyadh
- Audience: senior decision-makers across sectors
- Scope: cloud compute, storage, networking, security and databases
- Format: practical workshops and case studies
The content stayed on the essentials. Attendees were introduced to the main cloud services and to cloud-native thinking. The format mixed short theory blocks with hands-on sessions. The intention was not to turn executives into engineers, but to equip them with context so they can set priorities, identify risks, and evaluate vendor claims.
Why this matters for Saudi Arabia’s digital push
Saudi Arabia treats talent development as a core lever for digital transformation. Tools only work when people can use them. Executive literacy sets the tone for project scope, budgets and outcomes.
- Supports the Kingdom’s goal to build a competitive, knowledge-based economy
- Bridges the gap between strategy and implementation
- Builds a shared language between leadership, IT and partners
- Underpins long-term innovation, not just near-term rollouts
Cloud skills are now a baseline for most transformation projects. When leadership understands the trade-offs between security, performance and cost, programmes tend to ship faster and with fewer surprises. This type of training reduces the likelihood of stalled pilots and helps teams determine the optimal workloads for the cloud.
What the programme covered
The agenda focused on the building blocks that shape architectural choices and budgets. It also touched on cloud-native approaches that change how apps are designed and run.
- Core services: compute, storage, networking, security, databases
- Cloud-native: containers, microservices mindset, managed services
- Decision support: risk, governance, cost and vendor evaluation
- Delivery: practical workshops and case studies to apply ideas
Executives looked at common patterns and failure points. They reviewed how security policies map to cloud controls and how data services affect performance and compliance. Case studies showed how teams can move from pilot to production, and where to hold the line on scope.
Part of a broader talent roadmap
This programme builds on a February 2025 MoU between Huawei and Tuwaiq Academy to grow local skills in cloud, AI and big data. It sits alongside broader initiatives aimed at expanding digital expertise across the Kingdom and the region.
- February 2025: MoU to collaborate on cloud, AI and big data skills
- Huawei Skills Development Centre: target to train 25,000 local talents by 2030
- T.H.E. GOLD Talent programme with UNESCO IITE: aims to strengthen digital intelligence across the Middle East and Central Asia
- Tuwaiq Academy: mission to develop the next generation of technology leaders in Saudi Arabia
Bringing executive education into the mix creates a top-down pull for skills. It complements hands-on training for engineers and students. The combination helps organisations set realistic plans, fund the right projects and retain talent by offering clear growth paths.
The partners
Each partner brings a defined role: one as a cloud provider with a global scale, and the other as a local academy focused on skills development.
- Huawei Cloud: cloud services and curriculum input
- Tuwaiq Academy: local context, learner pathways and programme delivery
- Shared aim: accelerate national talent development in line with Saudi priorities
- Regional impact: supports innovation momentum across the Middle East
The collaboration reflects a simple fact: capability building takes sustained partnerships. With clear division of roles and repeatable content, programmes like this can scale across sectors and regions.
FAQs
When did the executive programme run?
It ran from 24 to 28 August in Riyadh. The announcement was dated 1 September 2025.
What topics did the training cover?
Core cloud services such as compute, storage, networking, security and databases, plus cloud-native concepts, workshops and case studies for decision support.
How does this relate to other initiatives?
It builds on a February 2025 MoU between Huawei and Tuwaiq Academy and aligns with Huawei initiatives like the Skills Development Centre (target: 25,000 people by 2030) and the T.H.E. GOLD programme with UNESCO IITE.
