Beyon is set to power its third data centre entirely with renewable energy in Bahrain through Phase 5 of its solar park programme, featuring 2,292 panels expected to generate 2.5GWh of clean electricity annually.
Data centre developers worldwide are rapidly shifting their focus to the construction of facilities capable of supporting artificial intelligence (AI) workloads – but sector experts are warning that the complex requirements of these new data centres may be outpacing supply chain preparedness.
Data centre developers worldwide are rapidly shifting their focus to the construction of facilities capable of supporting artificial intelligence (AI) workloads – but sector experts are warning that the complex requirements of these new data centres may be outpacing supply chain preparedness.
The question is no longer how to build bigger data centres. It is how to deploy infrastructure fast enough to keep up with AI, says Roger (Zhaoyang) Wang, General Manager of Global Data Centers, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
Meeza, Qatar’s leading data centre and managed IT services provider, has signed a major agreement with a global hyperscaler and cloud service provider, to provide 6 megawatts of data centre services in the first phase.
The Middle East is the world’s cheapest region for data centre construction, averaging $9.93 per watt, according to Turner & Townsend. The competitive costs position the region to attract large-scale AI projects, with the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia featuring globally.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is emerging as a major data centre growth market, with more than 174 active projects representing over $93 billion in investment. Artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and digital transformation are driving demand for new capacity, according to MEED.
stc Bahrain, a digital enabler in the kingdom, has partnered with the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) Group to support the enhancement of its data centre infrastructure as part of the second phase of the banking group's data centre transformation programme.
The UAE continues to consolidate its advanced model for building smart cities, underpinned by wide-ranging strategic investments, most notably in data centres, which form the operational backbone of smart urban systems and knowledge-based digital economy, said an industry expert.
HUMAIN, a Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) Company, and the National Infrastructure Fund (Infra) have announced a Strategic Financing Framework Agreement of up to $1.2 billion to support the expansion of AI and digital infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia.
