Maan Farsi

General Manager, Cloud Computing and Partnerships

Maan Farsi is General Manager for Cloud Computing and Partnerships at the Communications, Space and Technology Commission. The Commission regulates telecommunications, information technology and space in Saudi Arabia, issuing licences and setting regulatory frameworks, among them the cloud computing rules that determine where an entity’s data is stored, how it is classified and who may operate it. That file has become central to attracting global cloud providers to the Kingdom, since no provider builds a data region in a country before the licensing frameworks and cross-border data transfer rules are clear to it. The word partnerships in his title points to the other face of the work: building cooperation between the Commission, operators and digital infrastructure providers.