Khazna Data Center, a new provider of data center operations in Abu Dhabi, has signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with du, to be the anchor tenant in two data center operations built by Khazna set to be opened in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The 10-year agreement will create facilities for du to house the IT and telecommunications equipment that is critical to its business needs, a statement from Khazna said.

The Abu Dhabi facility will be built at Masdar City, while the Dubai facility will be built at Meydan. Based on a modular design, each facility is designed to deliver 4.5 MW of IT load in the initial phase, scalable up to 18 MW per facility in future phases. Construction has commenced and both facilities are expected to be operational by the end of 2013.

The two data centers will provide industry benchmark levels of power supply and cooling services, to better serve the growing need for data center operations in the UAE. The cost-efficient facilities will allow for significant cost savings and reduce its environmental footprint.

Beyond its anchor tenant, Khazna will provide wholesale space in both Emirates for other companies looking for robust infrastructure for their data centers, the statement said.  

Saeed Basweidan, CEO of Khazna, said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement, which will provide the infrastructure required by du.  Khazna will introduce the largest facilities in the UAE and the region and will be available to other UAE-based clients interested in operating from the UAE.”   

Osman Sultan, CEO of du, said: “Aligning with Khazna as the anchor tenant for these new data centers is a strategic move that will allow us to provide even better value-adding services to our customers. We are pleased with this agreement, and look forward to a positive future relationship with Khazna.” – TradeArabia News Service