Alibaba supercharges AI push with new data hubs in Malaysia, Philippines

Alibaba Group is ramping up its AI ambitions with a major infrastructure boost across Southeast Asia.

Its cloud division, Alibaba Cloud, has launched a third data center in Malaysia and plans to open a second in the Philippines this October.

The new Malaysian facility went live earlier this week. It will offer increased computing power and storage for regional businesses and governments undergoing digital transformation.

Intended for launch later in October, the Philippine center is anticipated to beef up local competencies in AI workloads, data analytics, and cloud-native services.

Alibaba says these centers will be conveniently located to support Asia’s rising demand for artificial intelligence-based cloud offerings. By making its AI tools more readily available, the company aims to appeal to startups, enterprises, and public institutions searching for scalable digital infrastructure.

Singapore hosts the world’s AI competency center

Alibaba Cloud has also announced the opening of a Global AI Competency in Singapore. The facility is intended to develop the next generation of AI developers and speed up the application of cutting-edge AI technologies in sectors ranging from finance to automotive.

The center will strive to help more than 5,000 businesses and provide skills and access to Alibaba’s Qwen AI models and tools for more than 100,000 developers. There will also be training on topics including machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and the responsible use of AI.

Alibaba said the hub will be a place for collaborative workshops, labs, and technical call centers to support businesses integrating AI into their operations. Manufacturing, retail, logistics, health, and finance are some of the prime targets.

“Globalization is Alibaba Cloud’s long-term strategy,” Eddie Wu, chief executive officer of Alibaba Cloud, said in a video message at a company event in Singapore on Wednesday.

The centre also ties in with the Smart Nation drive in Singapore as the city-state seeks to become a regional hub for AI innovation and digital transformation.

Alibaba commits $53 billion to global AI network

Alibaba’s recent steps are all part of a much larger goal: to lead the way in the next generation of AI-based business infrastructure.

The company will funnel over $53 billion into building artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure worldwide in the next three years.

It is also building infrastructure in other countries, including Thailand, Mexico, and South Korea, a sign that it is looking to expand to other global markets and reduce customer latency.

After making a splash in Chinese e-commerce, the company is expanding to AI tools and services built on its own Qwen AI models, including everything from an AI platform to large language models pre-trained for enterprise usage.

In February 2025, CEO Eddie Wu declared that Alibaba’s new mission is to pursue Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—AI capable of reasoning and problem-solving like a human. The bold announcement sets the company on a direct collision course with US tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, as well as an increasingly competitive field of AI labs across Asia.

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