Page 10 - SAMENA Trends - December 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

MEMBERS NEWS

stc to Expand its Data Center Portfolio in Saudi
Arabia

In presence of HRH Prince Mohammed stc expanding its mission critical white to enable digital transformation within
bin Khaled Abdulla Al-Faisal, stc has space to more than 105 MW of Data Center the Kingdom and further the country’s
announced launching 3 Mega Data IT power across the Kingdom utilizing National Transformation Program 2020,
Centers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Madina, the same highly resilient model. The new in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. Nasser
with SAR 1 billion investment. They aim design of the Data Centers has received Tier Al-Nasser the stc CEO stated “Yesterday
to host telecommunications equipment III Certification for Design & Construction we announced $500 Million investment
and digital cloud infrastructure, offering from the global authority “The Uptime with Ali Baba Cloud and eWTP, and to
higher availability, more flexibility and Institute” and are fully compliant with local today we announce investing about SAR
faster time to the customer. stc adopted regulations. These projects represent the 1 Billion in these 3 Data Centers. The
Next Generation build technology through first phase of its New Era “Next Generation” successful completion and transformation
modular and prefabricated solutions, Data Centers. Phase1 of this ambitious of stc’s mission critical offering, will
affirming business continuity and service program is now complete, with new Data enable the next step in digital services
uptime. It also enables stc to optimize Centers in Jeddah and Madinah already to be delivered throughout the Kingdom.
future expansions with Grow-On- online, and today sees stc’s 3rd new Data This first milestone achievement is only
Demand technology and Quick-To-Market Center being commissioned in Riyadh. stc the beginning”. Haithem M. Alfaraj the stc
solutions. The three new Data Centers has embraced state-of-the-art design and Senior VP of Technology and Operations
have been built with over 150 prefabricated construction techniques, which is set out stated “stc has reached a major milestone
modules (PFM’s), fully equipped with to advance the Kingdom’s Infrastructure in providing next generation Data Centers,
power, thermal management and IT architecture. stc’s vision is realized that will meet the current demands for
infrastructure. Providing 10.8 MW of through the rapid deployment of multiple digital infrastructure, with the flexibility to
critical IT power (white space ready) cutting-edge Data Centers specifically grow and mature with the digital evolution”
expandable to 16.8 MW. Phase 2 of the tailored to meet the ever-increasing stc’s current network transformation
program already in construction will bring requirements of this giant company. and new Data Center program will
the total Critical IT Power to 40.8 MW. This exciting announcement comes fundamentally change the mission critical
Furthermore, the short-term future will see as part of stc’s ongoing achievements hosting space within the region, improving
the agility and speed-to-market of the
new services being rolled out in support
of the Kingdom’s National Transformation
Program 2020, and the Kingdom’s 2030
vision. stc’s successful achievement in this
program has exceeded all expectations,
and STC has already started Phase 2 of
the program that will deliver an additional
4 new Data Centers in strategic locations
throughout the Kingdom. stc’s major
objective is to fundamentally transform
the Kingdom’s network architecture,
moving towards advanced digital software
services, and provide resilience enhanced
mission critical white space to hosting
customers and hyper-scalers. It also
aspires to further improve operational
efficiencies and scalability, reduce
latency, and implement cloud services,
artificial intelligence and automation.

10 DECEMBER 2020