Saudi tech company DataVolt signed an agreement with Neom to develop a renewable energy-powered 1.5 GW data center in the Oxagon industrial complex, according to a statement. An initial investment of some USD 5 bn is earmarked for the first phase, which is set to begin operations by 2028.

What we know: The project — expected to be fully powered by renewables — plans to deploy energy-efficient computing architectures and zero-emission cooling technologies, according to the statement.

Sound familiar? DataVolt said last year it plans to invest USD 5 bn in the sustainable data center sector in Saudi Arabia. A project with a USD 3.5 bn ticket was reportedly slated to begin development in 2Q 2025 and receive foreign investment via partnerships.

DataVolt’s global green plans: The Saudi-based tech company also agreed to develop up to500 MW of green data centers in Uzbekistan last year.

IN OTHER DATA CENTER UPDATES FROM UAE AND EGYPT-

#1- Abu Dhabi’s G42 will invest in France in partnership with AI hosting infrastructure data center DataOne, according to a press release. The initiative is led by Core42, G42’s sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure subsidiary. The partnership will see the development of an AI data center in Grenoble, France, powered by AMD AI technologies for data centers. The new facility — offering French enterprises, researchers, and innovators the computational power required for AI development — is set to become operational by mid-2025.

REMEMBER- Abu Dhabi AI fund MGX also plans to invest USD 30-50 bn in a data center and AI campus in France, with additional funding from a consortium of French and Emirati firms. The first tranche of investment will be announced during French President Emmanuel Macron’s flagship investment event later this year.

#2- A USD 1.8 bn healthcare data center in the works for Egypt? Spanish medical consultancy WHM is looking into setting up a USD 1.8 bn healthcare data center in Egypt through a consortium of investors, according to a statement. The project — proposed to Egypt’s Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib during his visit to Spain — aims to help position Egypt as a regional hub for AI-driven medical services.

The details are TBD: The terms of the project are set to be hammered out over a series of follow-up meetings between the company and local authorities. El Khatib extended an invitation to WHM to visit Egypt to explore potential investments, highlighting the government’s willingness to provide the needed support for WHM to invest in the local market.

ICYMI- A key target of the second edition of Egypt’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy released last month is establishing advanced data centers in a drive to develop the country’s AI infrastructure.

Tags: