Quantum Switch Tamasuk (QST), a Saudi company specialising in the design, build, financing and operation of data centres, has signed a key business principle agreement with the kingdom’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to develop and operate new data centres with a total capacity of 300MW by 2026.
QST says its data centres will be designed and built to meet the demands of hyperscale cloud service providers, international gaming and media platforms and global content delivery networks, with a view to attracting them to locate their main regional hubs in the kingdom.
In addition, the data centres will host government digital infrastructure development initiatives, including the Saudi Internet Exchange Point scheme. They will also be centres for co-location of Saudi Arabian government workloads. It is expected that preferential rates for Saudi Arabian-owned start-ups will benefit from hosting and colocation services at the new sites – further stimulating innovation in the kingdom’s digital economy.
QST has committed to at least one third of these new roles being filled by Saudi Arabian nationals and will create dedicated training and skills development plans. Local contractors and suppliers will be used for construction wherever possible.
The new sites will feature the latest designs to minimise cooling requirements. MCIT will work with QST to develop and secure sources of renewable energy to further enhance sustainability. Both parties are actively evaluating the feasibility of connecting solar PV facilities to the data centres.
QST already has significant investments in the Kingdom; two data centre campus facilities are already under construction.
As we mentioned last week, activity in the data centre sector seems to be ramping up in Saudi Arabia, where QST is just one of a number of internal and external investors that have announced big plans.