Khazna + AIDO partner on 30 MW Mafraq data center

UAE-based Khazna Data Centers has partnered with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to establish an advanced data center in Mafraq, according to a statement released on Thursday. The Mafraq facility — which will have an initial 30 MW capacity — is slated to be operational in 2026 and looks to meet accelerating demand for data centers in the UAE and across the region, while also emphasizing sustainability in operations, the statement said. The initiative will also see Khazna benefit from government owned land in accordance with ADIO’s Musataha agreement. No investment ticket was disclosed as part of the statement.

What is the Musataha agreement, anyway? The framework allows investors to leverage government-owned property for long term investments that promote a knowledge-based economy, ADIO said. Khazna will build and operate the data center as part of a long-term lease that will generate economic growth and boost jobs. ADIO serves as a conduit for local and international outfits to access Abu Dhabi’s landbank, and has enabled 132 Musataha agreements since late 2021, the statement added.

Khazna is well established in the UAE data center sector: The outfit operates 12 data centers across the UAE and has another 12 in the pipeline for the next two years. Khazna is eyeing a total 300 MW capacity at its UAE data centers.