Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, will provide cloud and AI technologies to support the Summer Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa.
The 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place in Senegal from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, across Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly. Senegal is the first African country to host an Olympic sports event.
The agreement was formalized during a signing ceremony in Hangzhou, China, between Alibaba Cloud, the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee (YOGOC), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
As the IOC’s official cloud service provider, Alibaba Cloud aims to enhance the event’s operational efficiency and fan engagement through its digital infrastructure. The Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee will use Alibaba Cloud’s Apsara Stack, a private cloud solution designed for secure, scalable, and high-performance operations. This platform will host applications and services needed for planning, operations, logistics, and post-event activities.
“This collaboration will not only benefit the Youth Olympic Games but also leave a lasting digital legacy for sport in Africa,” said Antoine Azokly, head of Youth Olympic Games Technology & Energy at the IOC.
Alibaba Cloud will also introduce digital flame services, using AI and cloud tools to create dynamic and immersive visual experiences for audiences worldwide.
The Games are expected to gather 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under. The program will feature 35 sports, with 25 competition events and 10 engagement sports.
Through this partnership, organizers hope to strengthen both the sporting and technological profile of Dakar 2026, providing a framework that can be adapted for future events in Africa.