Global digital infrastructure major Equinix has opened its third data center in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The facility will be an International Business Exchange (IBX) data center and will be called DX3. Equinix already has two other data centers DX1 and DX2 in Dubai.
According to a press release, DX3 will be Equinix’s largest yet facility in the region, and provide 1,800 cabinets of capacity across two phases or a total footprint of 12,000 square meters (135,000 square feet). While it will have an investment of over US$ 60 Million in the first phase, Equinix will invest over US$ 100 Million in the new data center when fully built out, to create the company’s largest and most interconnected data center in the Middle East.
“Technology industry leaders both in the Middle East and worldwide are accelerating the integration of AI within their organizations. It is progressively evolving into a vital capability for empowering intelligent and autonomous systems that drive modern businesses. Those who do not fully harness its potential risk falling behind, so Equinix is here to support their ambitions with the opening of our new DX3 IBX® Data center,” said Kamel Al-Tawil, Managing Director, Equinix MENA.
The facility was declared open at a special event graced by His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, and Meghan Gregonis, United States Consul General in Dubai. Also present at the ceremony was Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO at du, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC).
According to a statement, “DX3 has been designed with a focus on innovation, which allows efficient power consumption with cutting-edge technologies in cooling, redundancy and scalability. DX3 is planned to be covered by 100% renewable energy.” It further says, “Equinix’s new data center also boasts the largest and strongest ecosystems of digital leaders in the region, including networks, cloud, content distributions, enterprise and financial services, and will be strategically located at the intersection of the world’s most dynamic markets in Dubai Production City.”
Equinix is also betting big on the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). “At Equinix, we’ve formulated our AI strategy to empower our clients to harness the vast potential of artificial intelligence. By utilizing its predictive and analytical capabilities, we aim to fuel innovation, elevate user experiences, and streamline operations. With the rising wave of AI-driven innovation in the UAE, we are excellently positioned to provide local businesses with the essential digital infrastructure,” said Al-Tawil.
Equinix’s global survey of 2,900 IT decision-makers confirmed AI uptake is on the rise across all industry sectors, with 85% of respondents worldwide seeking to benefit from the advantages of AI and already using or planning to use it across multiple key functions. The survey also showed that more than three out of four IT leaders surveyed in the UAE (77%) confirm that their existing IT infrastructure is prepared for the demands of artificial intelligence technology, as the country experiences widespread adoption of AI across industries. The UAE scores higher than other countries in preparedness to accommodate AI, where only 58% of global and 51% of EMEA IT leaders believing their infrastructure is prepared for AI.
