EDGNEX, a global digital infrastructure provider owned by DAMAC Group, has identified Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as the next location for its collection of data centre facilities.
EDGNEX is the most recent investment of Hussain Sajwani, Emirati businessman and founder of DAMAC Group. EDGNEX’s data centre will support the KSA’s Vision for 2030 by providing a foundation for local and regional digital transformation and innovation, while aiming to attract global multi-nationals to the country, the company said in a statement.
Dynamic location
The data centre will be located at Industrial City 2 which is just 19 km from the city centre and 47km from the airport. Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President of parent company DAMAC Group said:
“The KSA is one of the most exciting and dynamic ICT markets in the MENA region. The government of the KSA has demonstrated its commitment to innovation and we are proud to be supporting its long-term vision for digital adoption. We want to help attract hyperscalers and innovators from around the world and give them a foundation for growth in the Kingdom. This is a tremendous opportunity to serve growing local demand while offering world-class facilities to players from across the globe.”
The facility’s close proximity to Riyadh’s city centre will provide low-latency access to the entire KSA market, and customers will benefit from high-fibre density and connectivity options. The new data centre will have a maximum IT load of 20 Megawatts (MW) and sit on a 17,720 sqm plot. The facility will be ready to go live in the third quarter of 2023.
“The KSA is one of the most connected countries in the MENA region and Riyadh offers an ideal hub for connecting Asia, Africa, the GCC and Europe. We see it as a hyperconnected crossroads and one of the most strategic locations for data centre investment in the region. As we grow our footprint locally in MENA and across the globe, we remain committed to developing digital infrastructure in the KSA and enabling the growth of Riyadh as an ICT hub for the region,” said McLoughlin.
With an estimated population of 33.4 million and over half of those being under 30, the KSA has a growing number of everyday tech users who demand high connectivity performance at all times. This scalable colocation facility will cater to local customers, hyperscalers and other wholesale colocation requirements.
The KSA national fibre network offers terrestrial connectivity to all major Gulf markets and acts as a gateway to key regional submarine cable landing stations.
