Damac's Saudi data centre units to go live by 2023-end

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Damac Data Centres, a global digital infrastructure provider owned by the Damac Group, will go live with facilities at Riyadh and Dammam in KSA by the end of this year, said senior company officials today (February 8) on the sidelines of LEAP 2023 technology event in Riyadh.

A further 35 megawatts IT capacity will be built in addition to the 20 megawatts already under construction, they stated.

According to Damac, each facility will launch with 5 megawatts IT capacity in Q4 2023, followed by a further 5 megawatts in Q1 2024. Both facilities will deliver a full 55 megawatts of IT capacity by 2025, it stated.

The Dammam and Riyadh facilities are Uptime Institute certified Tier 3 classification and provide highly connected hubs in one of the region's fastest developing digital economies.

Damac said it has accelerated the data centre roll outs in the region due to local and international customer demand.

The investments in Saudi Arabia, which is worth $600 million, come as part of its $1 billion data centre development strategy, it added.

Damac Group Chairman Hussain Sajwani said: "KSA holds a unique position in the Mena region. Its borders touch more countries than almost any other and it is an ideal jumping off point for connecting across Africa and the GCC."

"Our facilities in Dammam and Riyadh offer local diversity as well as rapid access to subsea cable systems that serve regional and global needs," stated Sajwani.

"KSA has a young, digitally savvy population and a lot to offer in terms of digital innovation and smart cities. We look forward to supporting the growth of its digital economy," he added.

Customers are finalising agreements to secure all available capacity within these facilities with deals closing before the end of 2023.

Damac said its data centre team has grown rapidly over the last 12 months to support customer demand and new facilities going live. Its globally experienced management team is working with third party suppliers and delivering operational capabilities to serve world-leading businesses.

KSA, it stated, is one of the most locally and globally connected regions in the GCC with 14 in-service subsea cables, 11 of which land in Jeddah.

Its national fibre network offers terrestrial connectivity to all major Gulf markets and acts as a gateway to key regional submarine cable landing stations.

According to Sajwani, Damac’s facilities support Saudi Vision 2030 and its strategy for accelerating development and growth locally.

“We are selecting locations for data centre facilities based on local demographics, the state of digital adoption, and opportunities to support long-term economic growth. Every site location we choose must meet strict criteria based on future demand rather than who needs rack space today,” stated the top official.

“Our Dammam and Riyadh sites more than meet these criteria and these will be two of several facilities that we are planning in the KSA. We’re excited to ramp up our builds and deliver data centre facilities that serve local market needs,” he added.