New facility will help organizations move from AI experimentation to production using technologies from Cisco, NVIDIA, and NTT DATA
NTT DATA has announced plans to launch its AI Factory Lab in Riyadh, a new innovation center designed to help organizations across the Middle East and Africa accelerate AI adoption and turn experimentation into measurable business outcomes.
Scheduled to open in September 2026, the facility will combine NTT DATA’s AI expertise with technologies from ecosystem partners including Cisco and NVIDIA, providing enterprises with a practical environment to evaluate, test, and scale AI initiatives. The lab aims to bridge a common challenge facing many organizations today: moving beyond AI pilots to secure, production-ready deployments.
Located in Saudi Arabia’s capital, the AI Factory Lab aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives and growing investments in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and innovation-led economic growth. The facility will host executive briefings, AI strategy workshops, and hands-on demonstrations to help organizations identify high-impact use cases and validate business value before large-scale implementation.
“While interest in AI continues to grow, many organizations are looking for a practical path from experimentation to business outcomes. The AI Factory Lab brings together the expertise, technologies and ecosystem partnerships needed to help clients identify the right use cases, deploy AI securely and scale with confidence,” said Hani Nofal, Executive Head of Infrastructure Solutions, Middle East and Africa, NTT DATA.
The lab will showcase real-world AI applications spanning employee productivity, customer experience, cybersecurity, networking, software development, intelligent operations, and industry-specific business processes. Organizations will also be able to explore how agentic AI can automate workflows, improve decision-making, and unlock greater value from enterprise data.
A key attraction will be the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, demonstrating how enterprises can build, secure, govern, and scale AI workloads using enterprise-grade infrastructure. The solution is designed to provide visibility, compliance, and operational resilience as organizations move AI projects into production environments.
“In the race to adopt AI, organizations need more than just technology. They need a foundation of trust and control,” said Cassie Roach, VP of Partner Sales, AI Infrastructure & Connectivity at Cisco, highlighting the importance of secure AI deployment frameworks.
According to NTT DATA, the AI Factory Lab forms part of its broader global AI strategy focused on helping customers adopt AI responsibly and securely through consulting, infrastructure, technology services, and industry-specific solutions. As enterprise AI investments continue to grow across the Middle East and Africa, the Riyadh facility is expected to serve as a regional hub for innovation, collaboration, and practical AI implementation.
