Agenda Datacloud Middle East

As AI adoption accelerates across the Middle East, the demand for high-performance computing (HPC) is reshaping the data centre landscape. This panel explores how operators, governments, and hyperscalers are responding to the infrastructure, energy, and strategic challenges of building AI-ready facilities at scale. The panel discusses:  

• How are regional energy strategies and sustainability goals influencing the design and operation of HPC environments?  

• What role do partnerships between hyperscalers, governments, and local operators play in scaling AI infrastructure across the region? 

• How can the Middle East position itself as a global hub for AI and HPC innovation, and what are the risks of falling behind? 

• How can stakeholders ensure long-term ROI while navigating rapid technological change, regulatory pressures, and geopolitical uncertainty? 

• How are the connectivity requirements of hyperscalers and other data centre tenants evolving?
• Do permitting and survey requirements for new subsea projects risk creating delays in connecting emerging data hubs? And how can we overcome these challenges?
• As the scale of data centres and their power densities expands is current fibre technology adequate to meet capacity demands?

Stargate UAE is the first international deployment of the AI infrastructure Stargate program, with the first 200MW of 1GW due to come online in 2026. While Stargate UAE will continue to enable domestic AI consumption it also has the potential to provide connectivity to almost half the world’s population, located within 2,000 miles.

• What are the demand drivers behind such a large data centre deployment?
• The role of nuclear power in providing sustainable, reliable power to the site
• How are we ensuring adequate connectivity to enable Stargate UAE to serve users beyond the UAE?

As MENA accelerates its transition to a data-driven economy, the region’s energy strategy must evolve to meet the demands of AI infrastructure. With hyperscale campuses and GPU clusters requiring gigawatts of reliable power, outdated contracting models and grid limitations risk slowing progress—unless bold reforms and private innovation step in. The session covers:  

• Financing the Future of Compute: Can long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) align with hyperscaler timelines and stabilise costs for operators and investors? 

• Unlocking Utility Partnerships: What incentives and reforms are needed to enable multi-decade capacity commitments from national utilities? 

• Private Generation at Scale: How are operators deploying onsite energy—from solar-plus-storage to modular gas microgrids—to ensure resilience and control? 

• Case Study: NEOM & HumAIn: What lessons can be drawn from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign AI strategy and its integrated approach to digital infrastructure and energy planning? 

The demands of AI are pushing the traditional model of data centre design. Flexibility and scalability are vital to meeting the increasing demands from advanced workloads and the unprecedented demand for compute power. 

• How are operators adapting cooling strategies—liquid cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, and AI-driven airflow management—to meet rack densities exceeding 30kW in hot climate zones like the GCC? 

• How are proximity to IXPs, submarine cable landings, and grid reliability shaping site selection and architectural decisions? 

• How are engineering teams designing for GPU clusters, liquid immersion cooling, and dynamic load balancing to support generative AI

As the global demand for data centres surges—driven by AI, cloud expansion, and digital transformation—the Middle East is emerging as a key growth market. Yet, delivering capacity at speed is increasingly challenged by supply chain constraints and labour shortages. 

• What strategies are attracting and upskilling the next generation of talent to meet the scale and complexity of data centre builds? 

• How are modern construction techniques and prefabrication models reducing timelines and improving ROI? 

• partnerships and technologies are helping mitigate delays—from generators to semiconductors—and ensuring reliable go-live dates? 

With leading data centre operators in the Middle East eyeing international expansion into Europe, Africa and the US, they will require new sources of capital to make these plans a reality.   

• Will traditional sources of capital, from sovereign wealth funds and national investment banks, finance expansions beyond their home nations?   

• What role can global investment banks and private equity firms play in supporting international expansion plans?  

• Do operators positioned within broader portfolios have an advantage when expanding, such as those within groups including power generation companies?