Saudi Arabia's Neom signed a $5 billion deal to build a huge AI data center

Saudi Arabia's futuristic Neom project has signed a deal to develop a multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence data center, per a Saudi Press Agency report.

Under the agreement with DataVolt, a Saudi-based international developer and operator of data centers, the first phase will receive an investment of $5 billion. The 1.5-gigawatt factory is expected to be online by 2028 and will be built in Neom's Oxagon industrial hub.

The Neom megacity, launched in 2017 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is a key step in achieving Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country's economy away from fossil fuels and transform it into a luxury tourism destination and innovation hub.

Investing in the data center comes as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates compete to become the Gulf's AI superpower, with both boosting investments in data centers. Last week, the UAE and France said they would commit between $31 billion and $52 billion to build Europe's largest AI data center.

Saudi Arabia's Neom signed a $5 billion deal to build a huge AI data center

The 1.5-gigawatt factory is expected to be in use by 2028. It comes as Saudi Arabia and the UAE compete to spearhead AI efforts in the Middle East.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Margery]

I remember from back when he began that project, MBS was planning to make it an information hub for the world. It's part of his economic future plan. He's on track in that dept.

Other aspects were the rail links that would connect Saudi Arabia to the port in Israel to benefit both of them. China has been making plans to join up with that by doing a rail link thru the Himalayas, down to the coast in Pakistan, then by ship - but if I recall they were very interested in the port of Haifa connecting their belt and road program (the new Silk route for trade).

Lining up. I haven't been paying attention to it for some time, NEOM or the Chinese plans but this would make it a hub for Eurasia.