Artificial Intelligence Institute, Whale Cloud and Kehali Strategic Advisory Sign MoU

Addis Ababa November 1/2022/ENA/ The Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, Alibaba Group's Whale Cloud, and Kehali Strategic Advisory have signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today.

The objective of the MoU is to implement the use of technologies that realize digital economy to benefit customers in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute Director-General, Worku Gachena, Whale Cloud Senior Sales Director for East Africa and West Africa, Ezra Yi, and Kehali Strategic Advisory CEO Ermyas Amelga inked the memorandum of understanding.

The MoU enables Whale Cloud to implement technologies for its partner Alibaba to start its e-commerce business in Ethiopia.   

The agreement will also enable it to realize Alipay and implement developed technologies, share cost of infrastructures and experience in Ethiopia, it was learned.

The institute will provide data center to create conducive environment and ensure reliable data protection for  Whale Cloud of Alibaba.

Kehali works to create a favorable environment for the implementation of Whale Cloud operations in Ethiopia, facilitate payment channels, promote the tripartite agreement, and  negotiate with banks to help modernize the banking system and the financial sector.

Artificial Intelligence Institute Director-General, Worku Gachena said on the occasion that the MoU signed with the experienced Chinese company on technology and digital economy and the domestic Kehali on the financial sector is an opportunity to collaborate in the digital economy.

"Whale Cloud and Alibaba are experienced companies. China is also expected to lead the world with AI technology by 2030. We have to benefit from this sector that uses data." 

East Africa and West Africa Whale Cloud Senior Sales Director,  Ezra Yi said on his part that the company will provide professional technological services for Ethiopian institutions based on the MoU.

"We will provide professional services and professional technologies to help all Ethiopian telecoms, banks, financial companies or start ups to build digital future for Ethiopians."  

Whale Cloud is a leading data intelligence technology company and Alibaba's Cloud Channel partner, it was learned.

Kehali CEO, Ermyas Amelga said the plan and implementation of digitalization is promising in Ethiopia.

"When we think of Ethiopia, it is not usually linked to digital transformation as we don't see the resources vital to that. Hopefully, this plan and implementation is now promising and big. I am hopeful and I have a dream. The institutions signed this to realize this vision."