The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Saudi Arabia has announced that it is forming four cooperation initiatives to build hyperscale data centers. This announcement is part of its achievement of the Kingdom Vision 2030 goals, which envisions the country becoming an “innovation-driven digital economy.”
This hyperscale project will see an $18 billion investment and is estimated to have a capacity of 1300 MW. It will also be fuelled by renewable energy. Those involved in the initiative include Malaz Financial Company, Dawiyat Integrated Telecommunications and Information Technology Company, Quantum Switch Tamasuk and Alfanar Group.
Commenting on the project, Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Bassam Al Bassam said: “Today, we drive the buildout and development of hyperscale centers needed to increase the adoption and maturity of cloud services. This is a foundational component for digital services, and enables video game publishers, e-sports tournament organizers, online broadcasters, content service operators and other digital platforms localize their services in Saudi Arabia.
Further to this, he stated that the Kingdom is "rapidly progressing" towards "consolidating its position as a leading digital hub in the region" by partnering with companies that can "accelerate the pace of economic growth and ensure readiness to digitally empower this ambitious nation.”
Meanwhile, Dawiyat Integrated Telecommunications and Information Technology Company CEO, Ahmad Sindi, commented: “Hyperscale data centers are one of the important components of enabling Saudi Vision 2030’s digital transformation goals for the Kingdom.
Adding: “Such data centers are also a core component of enabling the 4th Industrial Revolution usage cases, and contribute to increasing local content across the ICT sector at the highest standards.”
