Middle East Data Center Market Landscape 2024-2029

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

The Middle East data center market will witness investments of USD 9.61 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.52% during the forecast period. The Middle East is a fast-paced market, with advancements happening each day, striving to be at par with other developed regions worldwide. It has a high potential for growth in areas like AI, smart cities, usage of sustainable energy resources, and so much more, encouraging more data centers to be constructed. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have emerged as market leaders of the region, equipped with sophisticated technology, cutting-edge safety/control systems, and a dominant market share. Furthermore, the Middle East data center market has witnessed investments from telecommunication companies, colocation data center operators, and cloud service providers.

KEY TRENDS

Increase in Usage of Inexhaustible Green Energy Sources

• The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait have been working to incorporate renewable energy in their data center facilities for the past few years.
• In November 2023, Equinix opened its third facility in Dubai, the DX3, the largest so far in the region. It would be powered 100% by renewable energy.
• The NEOM Green Hydrogen Project is a groundbreaking initiative that aims to produce green hydrogen on a large scale in the NEOM region of Saudi Arabia. NEOM is a visionary city development project in the country's northwestern part, aspiring to become a leading global hub for innovation and sustainability.
• Oman’s Vision 2040 and the National Energy Strategy aim to generate approximately 30% of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. These renewable energy projects include two solar IPPs in Manah, 11 solar-diesel hybrid facilities, a wind farm in Dhofar, and Sahim, an initiative to install small solar panels on commercial and residential units.

The Age of Artificial Intelligence

• Governments in the Middle East have taken various policies and initiatives to develop and deploy AI-based technology. The adoption of AI is rising across different fields, including education, healthcare, finance, commerce, and related industries. Countries globally adopt AI for several operations.
• The UAE and Saudi Arabia are two major Middle Eastern countries that have been witnessing the large-scale adoption of AI.
• The government of Oman is implementing AI projects through two programs, Oman 2030 and Vision 2040. These programs aim to provide education and training and develop research facilities for the adoption of AI.
• Two policies, Vision 2035 and New Kuwait 2035, were formulated in Kuwait as part of the AI initiative. This initiative also includes utilizing AI and related technologies to increase job opportunities.
• The government of Bahrain announced the Digital Strategy 2022 for the development of AI and its applications. As part of this strategy, the AI Academy was established in the country.

5G Deployments & Edge Facilities Gaining Momentum

• Edge data centers are small, decentralized facilities that offer services like computing and storage and are strategically located closer to the end users where data is generated and consumed. Unlike cloud facilities, edge facilities are known to reduce latency and optimize bandwidth, facilitating the deployment of new applications.
• The UAE was the first in the region to offer 5G services by May 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar a few months later in July, and then Saudi Arabia in October of the same year. Israel did it in September 2020, whereas Iran and Oman about a year later in July 2021.
• Middle Eastern countries work toward adopting digital transformation to attract foreign investments. 5G network deployment fuels digital transformation, IoT, smart cities, and the fourth industrial revolution. The rapid investment in 5G technology increases the demand for high-bandwidth internet in Tier II and III cities, thereby leading to the generation of a substantial amount of data, further driving data center development to process the information. 5G network services play a key role in supporting enterprise digitalization and will drive the adoption of IoT applications.
• Saudi Arabia has about 11.2 million 5G subscribers as of March 2023, 42.8% of the overall 5G subscriptions in the Middle East region.
• The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) plans to reach and achieve 100% 5G coverage in the UAE by 2025.
• In July 2023, Tonomus launched a new facility in the Saudi Arabian cognitive city of Neom. The facility would be a high-capacity, highly efficient data center to facilitate 5G, satellite, and fiber connectivity.

SEGMENTATION INSIGHTS

• The Middle East data center market comprises segments like electrical, mechanical, and general construction, the latter having many sub-parts included within that are interconnected and interdependent.
• In a region known for its hot climate, cooling systems and techniques are crucial for cooling down data center facilities. Internal software and hardware, such as servers, computing devices, and other equipment, must be cooled as they work continuously to manage millions of data center operations daily.
• Data center operators need to ensure that the facility remains operational at all times. Proper power backup facilities, such as UPS systems and generators, are essential to this. The Middle East data center market uses sustainable energy sources like EcoDiesel, biofuel, natural gas, and other environmentally friendly options to power these backup systems.
• The physical security of data centers is also very important. Adopting multifactor authentication systems, perimeter fencing, facial recognition technology, and so on has made great strides in that area.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

• The UAE is an established market for data center development in the Middle East. The high internet and social media penetration, inland and submarine cable connectivity, strong regulatory framework, and tax incentives make it an attractive tax haven for investors.
• Saudi Arabia is also among the second-highest data center destinations in the Middle East data center market. The market is witnessing the entry of global cloud operators, setting up their own dedicated cloud regions across the country. 
• The high adoption of cloud-based services helps increase Oman's retail and wholesale colocation services. The market witnesses increased demand for colocation spaces across existing and upcoming data centers.
• Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Israel are also on the way to emerge among the leaders in adopting sophisticated technology, cutting-edge safety/control systems, and a good market share, with developments happening gradually.
• Other Middle Eastern countries include Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Yemen. The region is experiencing a surge in data center demand due to the adoption of technology and digitalization.
• The Middle East region has a high potential for growth in niche fields such as AI, sustainable energy resources, smart city development, and more. This encourages the construction of more data centers and supports the Middle East data center market.

VENDOR LANDSCAPE

• Equinix, center3 (stc), Gulf Data Hub, Mobily, Khazna Data Centers, Ooredoo, and others are among the current major investors in the Middle East data center market.
• Support infrastructure vendors in the Middle East data center industry include ABB, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Eaton, Johnson Controls, and Vertiv. These companies have a strong global presence and operate across the Middle East. They operate directly in some prominent countries with existing and ongoing ventures, while in others, they operate through channel partners and distributors, competing with local vendors in their respective countries.
• Notable construction contractors in the Middle East data center market include McLaren Construction Group, HHM Building Contracting, AECOM, ENMAR Engineering, Anel Group, Turner & Townsend, and many others.
• Prominent vendors such as Edgnex Data Centres by DAMAC, Digital Realty, Quantum Switch Tamasuk (QST), and Compass Datacenters are new entrants in the Middle East data center market. They have a significant presence in other regions worldwide and can potentially disrupt the existing market by competing with current players. Their customer base from other parts of the world may also follow them into the Middle East market.