Alibaba Cloud will power the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event in Africa, with its cloud and AI technologies.
As the official cloud service provider of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Alibaba Cloud will provide the digital infrastructure needed to boost efficiency and fan engagement for the Games. Dakar 2026 will take place in Senegal from October 31 to November 13, across Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly.
The Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee will use Alibaba Cloud’s Apsara Stack to host digital applications and services essential for planning, operations, logistics, and post-event activities. This will ensure a secure, scalable, and high-performance IT environment for the Games.
The partnership also includes delivering digital flame services that use AI and cloud tech to create immersive visual experiences for global audiences. According to IOC’s Antoine Azokly, the integration of these technologies will make the Games more efficient, sustainable, and engaging while leaving a lasting digital legacy for African sports.
Dakar 2026 will feature 2,700 athletes under the age of 17, competing in 35 sports, including 25 competition sports and 10 engagement sports.
