In a May 2022 interview, Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian said Google worked with Aramco’s system integration division, not its oil-and-gas division, and was not involved in exploration and production. That describes Kurian’s account of the work’s scope; it does not independently establish how every Google Cloud customer used the service. Google’s 2020 announcement separately outlined a Saudi cloud region and a local reseller sponsored by Aramco, without naming an Aramco division.
What Thomas Kurian said about Google’s Aramco work
Bloomberg News reported on May 27, 2022, that Kurian, then identified as head of Google’s cloud division, told Bloomberg TV: “We work with Aramco system integration division, not with the oil-and-gas division.” He also said, “We’re not doing work in the exploration and production business,” and that Google was “helping oil and gas companies decarbonize in a variety of ways.” Bloomberg News report republished by Data Center Knowledge
Those remarks distinguish the division Kurian said Google worked with from Aramco’s oil-and-gas division, and describe work he said Google was not doing. They are his characterization, not an independent audit of Google Cloud use, customer activity, or the relationship’s emissions effects.
What Google announced in 2020
Google Cloud’s December 21, 2020 announcement said the company had agreed to deploy and operate a cloud region in Saudi Arabia. It also said a local strategic reseller, sponsored by Aramco, would offer Google Cloud services to customers, particularly businesses in the Kingdom. The post traced the agreement to a 2018 memorandum of understanding to explore cloud services in the region. Google Cloud announcement
The announcement did not identify an Aramco division involved in sponsoring the reseller. The system-integration-versus-oil-and-gas distinction appears in Kurian’s later public comments as reported by Bloomberg News, not in Google’s 2020 description.
How the arrangement and Kurian’s statement fit together
| Question | What the cited sources say |
|---|---|
| Who would operate the cloud region? | Google said it would deploy and operate the Saudi region in its December 2020 announcement. |
| Who would offer services locally? | A local strategic reseller sponsored by Aramco would offer Google Cloud services, with a focus on businesses in Saudi Arabia, according to the 2020 announcement. |
| Which Aramco division did Kurian say Google worked with? | Kurian said it was Aramco’s system integration division, not its oil-and-gas division, in comments reported in May 2022. |
| What do the sources establish about customer use or impact? | They do not audit customer use or measure the partnership’s emissions or human-rights impact. |
These are related but distinct descriptions: Google’s announcement set out a regional infrastructure and reseller plan, while Kurian later characterized the division and type of work. Neither source establishes that cloud services could not be used by oil-sector customers.
#1 Best Overall
Why the comments drew criticism
The 2022 report described criticism from people, including Google employees, who argued that providing cloud tools to oil-and-gas firms could conflict with Google’s climate goals. Kurian’s comments that Google was not working in exploration and production and that it helped energy companies decarbonize were part of that debate; the report does not independently verify those claims or quantify the relationship’s climate effects.
The same report noted human-rights concerns about Saudi Arabia and a planned shareholder proposal asking for a human-rights assessment of a Saudi data center. It said the SEC had approved the proposal for a shareholder vote. The report does not establish the assessment’s findings or the vote’s outcome.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →What can—and cannot—be concluded
- Supported: In May 2022, Kurian publicly described Google’s work as being with Aramco’s system integration division rather than its oil-and-gas division, and said it did not include exploration and production.
- Also supported: Google’s December 2020 announcement described plans for Google to operate a Saudi cloud region and for an Aramco-sponsored local reseller to offer Google Cloud services.
- Not established by these sources: Which Aramco division sponsored the reseller; how customers used the cloud services; the arrangement’s present status; or the project’s emissions and human-rights effects.
The statements and plans above are historical: the announcement dates to 2020 and the reported comments and criticism to 2022. These sources do not establish the current status of the region, reseller arrangement, or shareholder proposal.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
