Morocco has unveiled plans for a 500 MW mega AI data center, Igoudar Dakhla, which aims to position the southern city of Dakhla as a major digital transformation hub. The data center will serve domestic and international clients with hosting, storage and data-processing services, and the facility will be powered fully by green energy sources.
According to Africa News Agency, the data center will cater to high performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, while enabling energy transition and aiming to reduce the digital sector’s carbon footprint.
iAfrica reports that the facility will run entirely on energy from a dedicated solar and wind farm, developed under the Digital for Sustainable Development program. The center will incorporate advanced cloud infrastructure and natural cooling systems to reduce excessive energy use and position Morocco as a competitive regional hub for green data services.
According to Arizton Advisory & Intelligence, Morocco’s data center market size will witness investments of US$ 51.0 million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 11.18 percent during the forecast period. Meanwhile, Statista finds that the Moroccan data-center market is growing quickly, with projected revenues of US$ 766.81 million in 2025, rising to more than US$ 1 billion by 2030.
While, Casablanca in the northern part of the African nation still remains Morocco’s largest digital infrastructure market, the Dakhla data center project is part of the wider development strategy for the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, located roughly 1600 kms South, and is aimed at boosting digital connectivity, and supporting Morocco’s preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.