RIYADH: Saudi Arabia could become one of the world’s largest exporters of computing power and artificial intelligence services within the next eight to 10 years, according to DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda.
Nanda said the Kingdom has the potential to build a global position in computing comparable to its status as a leading oil exporter. DataVolt’s strategy in Saudi Arabia is based on three main advantages: affordable energy, strong international connectivity and a strategic geographic location.
DataVolt is a Riyadh-based developer and operator of sustainable data centres, with offices in Dubai and California. It is part of Saudi Vision Invest Group, which previously helped incubate ACWA Power.
The group’s portfolio also includes Saudi-listed water company Miahona and Saudi Tabreed, a district cooling joint venture with UAE-based Tabreed, alongside businesses in shipping, logistics and liquefied natural gas.
Low-Cost Energy Supports Data Centre Growth
Nanda said electricity generated by large-scale green energy projects in Saudi Arabia costs approximately two US cents per kilowatt-hour. He estimated that this is between 30 percent and 40 percent cheaper than comparable electricity costs in China.
Access to competitively priced renewable energy is expected to give Saudi Arabia an important advantage as AI data centres require substantial amounts of electricity to train and operate advanced models.
The Kingdom has also invested heavily in telecommunications infrastructure. It currently has 17 subsea cables landing on its shores, with the figure expected to increase to 24 within the next two years. These connections are supported by an expanding terrestrial fibre network.
Saudi Arabia Targets Global Computing Demand
Saudi Arabia currently has around 300 megawatts of data centre capacity, which could increase to approximately 800 MW by 2030 or 2031.
However, Nanda said domestic demand alone is not the main reason for DataVolt’s expansion. The broader goal is to develop Saudi Arabia into a global hub capable of supplying computing and AI services to international markets.
The company is advancing this strategy through a major data centre project in Oxagon, NEOM’s industrial city. The development is targeting a total capacity of 1.5 gigawatts.
Nanda said construction is expected to begin within approximately 12 weeks, while the initial phase is planned to deliver several hundred megawatts of capacity.
Saudi Arabia’s location also provides a major advantage. Data centres based in the Kingdom could reach around half of the world’s population within a latency of 120 milliseconds.
This includes approximately 1.4 billion people in Africa, two billion across South and Southeast Asia and 450 million in Europe. A further 350 million people could be served through connections extending from Europe into the United States.
DataVolt Combines Energy and Digital Infrastructure
Nanda described DataVolt as an energy company that entered the data centre industry from a different direction.
The company’s name reflects this approach, with “data” representing information and intelligence and “volt” referring to energy.
Over the past two decades, the wider group has developed nearly $120 billion in new infrastructure projects across energy, water and green hydrogen in around 15 countries.
DataVolt Capacity Nearly Fully Contracted
DataVolt currently has approximately 60 MW of capacity under development across Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. This includes 48 MW at two sites in the Kingdom and 12 MW in Tashkent.
The projects, representing investments of nearly $1 billion, are scheduled to become operational in phases before the end of the year.
Although the developments were initially viewed as early projects to test demand, Nanda said almost all available capacity has already been sold. Only a few megawatts remain available across the 60 MW portfolio.
Around 70 percent of DataVolt’s Saudi capacity has been allocated to AI workloads, while the remaining 30 percent will support cloud computing. In Uzbekistan, capacity is divided almost equally between AI and cloud services.
The company is also deploying liquid cooling technology at scale across the Gulf and Central Asia. The system supports the high-density computing racks required for training AI models while helping manage the heat generated by advanced processors.
Tashkent Project Secures Development Financing
DataVolt has completed financing for its Tashkent data centre through a group of European development finance institutions.
The alliance includes the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, France’s Proparco, Germany’s DEG and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
Nanda said financing a single data centre project through this structure and at such a scale represents one of the first arrangements of its kind globally. Financial institutions had to develop methods for assessing and distributing risks linked to digital infrastructure, which differs from traditional energy and water project financing.
The Tashkent facility will use renewable energy around the clock, combining solar power during the day with wind energy at night in coordination with the national electricity grid.
DataVolt worked with the grid operator to create a system allowing renewable plants directly connected to the facility to provide continuous green electricity without increasing project costs.
DataVolt Invests in Local AI Talent
Alongside infrastructure development, DataVolt is investing in training future data centre professionals.
Through the Energy and Water Academy, the company launched a three-year programme equivalent to a university degree. The initiative is designed to prepare young men and women to become certified data centre operators.
DataVolt initially expected around 400 applications for 100 places in its data and AI programme. However, the company received 16,500 applications within four days.
In Uzbekistan, DataVolt has committed to having all data centre operator positions filled by Uzbek citizens by 2029.
Nanda said skills shortages can be addressed through education and long-term investment. Access to advanced computing chips remains a more complex challenge because of geopolitical restrictions and regulations governing the international trade of high-performance graphics processing units.
He added that Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the United States, where many advanced chips are produced, currently supports the Kingdom’s ambitions. However, the speed of change across the global AI industry makes its long-term direction difficult to predict.
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