- Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Cloud head Thomas Kurien clarified that its deal with oil giant Saudi Aramco did not include oil production, Bloomberg reports.
- “We work with Aramco system integration division, not with the oil-and-gas division,” Kurian said.
- Google’s critics, including its employees, have claimed that providing cloud tools to oil-and-gas firms conflicts with its zero-carbon goals.
- Also Read: Data Is The New Oil? Not Yet! Saudi Aramco Surpasses Apple To Become Most Valuable Company
- Kurian has denied any contradiction in these partnerships.
- “We’re not doing work in the exploration and production business,” Kurien said. “We’re also helping oil and gas companies decarbonize in a variety of ways.”
- An activist group, SumOfUs, looks to propose calling on the company board to release a human rights assessment of a Saudi data center at Alphabet’s shareholder meeting on June 1. Alphabet attempted to remove the proposal from a vote, but the U.S. SEC approved it.
- In 2020, Google disclosed plans to expand its cloud business into Saudi Arabia with a new cloud data center. Saudi Aramco would re-sell Google’s cloud services to customers in the country.
- Price Action: GOOG shares traded higher by 1.64% at $2,201.50 premarket on the last check Friday.
