Riyadh emerges as Middle East’s fastest-growing market for data centers

Riyadh has emerged as the fastest-growing market for data centers in the Middle East, catching up with Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the race to build up the power and capacity needed to fuel the AI boom.

The Saudi capital plans to grow its capacity at almost double the rate of the UAE’s two biggest cities through 2027, real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle told Bloomberg. The UAE leads the region in computing capacity, followed by Saudi Arabia.

With the requisite money, space, and energy, the Gulf is investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Data center deals in Saudi include a $1.5 billion commitment by US-based AI firm Groq and Aramco Digital, as well as a $500 million investment from US-based Salesforce.