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Datacloud MENA
Datacloud Middle East
 
  

10-12 February 2026 (9 February - Pre-event day)

Grand Hyatt Dubai Conference & Exhibition Centre, UAE


 

Driving Data Centre Acceleration in the Middle East

Smarter Strategy - Stronger partnerships - real business impact.

✔ Meet decision makers from hyperscalers, data centre operators, cloud service providers, energy providers, global investors, plus their subsea and terrestrial fibre partners.

✔ Engage with hyperscalers including Meta, AWS, Google, Microsoft, Oracle.

✔ Build strategic partnerships with an operator-heavy audience.

✔ Gain insider access to boardroom-level insights that shape the industry.

✔ Be where your competitors are – or risk being left behind.

Sponsor

Sponsor

2025 Attendees

2025 Attendees

2025 Post Event Report

2025 Post Event Report

Datacloud Middle East 2026

Our mission: Driving connectivity, empowering growth.

Datacloud Middle East follows the success of Datacloud Global Congress and Datacloud USA; events designed to accelerate data centre growth by connecting the entire digital infrastructure ecosystem under one roof, resulting in significant ROI for attendees.

From hyperscalers and data centre giants to investors, energy providers and OEMs - Datacloud Middle East will welcome the most influential names from across the MEA region and the world.

CONFIRM YOUR PASS

Who attends

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The Datacloud Middle East 2026 Agenda

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09:45
  1. Datacloud stage
    5 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
09:50
  1. Datacloud stage
    10 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    This opening address provides a strategic overview of the Middle East’s rapidly evolving data centre ecosystem. As the region experiences unprecedented growth driven by AI, hyperscaler investment, and ...
10:00
  1. Datacloud stage
    60 mins
    • 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? 

11:00
  1. Networking break
    30 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East
11:30
  1. Capacity Stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East
    With a spate of recent announcements of new data centre hubs and rapid expansion of existing sites, such as Damman or Sharjah, providing diverse high-capacity connectivity is essential to unlocking the value of these sites. 
    • 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?
  2. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East

    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?
12:15
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East

    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? 

13:00
  1. 60 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East
14:00
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East

    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

14:45
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East

    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? 

15:00
  1. Networking break
    30 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Networking
    • Capacity Middle East
16:00
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East

    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?  

17:30
  1. Networking reception
    90 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Networking
    • Capacity Middle East
09:45
  1. Capacity Stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Keynotes
    • Capacity Middle East
    Across the region, we are seeing huge investment into digital infrastructure, driven by ambitious government-led initiatives to diversify oil-dominated economies. Even as sovereign wealth funds continue to drive investment, we are seeing an increase in international investment in the region, including KKR and Gulf Data Hub, as well as I Squared and PIF’s joint investment fund.
    • Which verticals are most attractive to investors?
    • How is international investment impacting digital infrastructure deployment?
    • How do returns in the region compare to those available elsewhere in digital infrastructure, like the US?
10:00
  1. Datacloud stage
    60 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East

    The region's higher temperatures and requirements for additional cooling drive up PUEs, making sustainability an additional challenge. Despite pushback on sustainability, it remains crucial to many leading customers and operators of data centres. 

     

    • Is liquid cooling the inevitable future—or are hybrid and passive systems viable alternatives? 

    • How are operators managing the energy-water-carbon trade-offs in cooling strategy? 

    • How are suppliers addressing water scarcity and regulatory constraints? 

    • What role do heat reuse, smart materials, and predictive maintenance play? 

10:45
  1. 30 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Networking
    • Capacity Middle East
11:30
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    Even as the AI boom continues full throttle, questions are emerging about who controls the data and potential conflicts with national security, economic goals, and local values. Sovereign AI, trained on local data, offers a solution to these growing concerns.
    • How can developing sovereign AI address concerns and meet data sovereignty regulations?
    • Is it feasible for each nation to develop the infrastructure and generate the required investment to deploy sovereign AI?
    • What can we learn from current projects, such as Saudi Arabia’s HumAIn and the country’s digital embassies approach?
12:00
  1. Networking lunch
    120 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Networking
    • Capacity Middle East
12:15
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
14:00
  1. Datacloud stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East

    The role of internet exchanges and peering are often overlooked in the region’s digital transformation. The local exchange of traffic will be essential in the shift to inference and other latency-dependent use cases. 

    • What is the status of the region’s leading exchanges? 

    • How is content localisation unlocking the value of AI? 

    •  The role of neutral internet exchanges in attracting international players to growing hubs 

15:30
  1. Networking break
    30 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East
17:30
  1. Networking reception
    90 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Networking
    • Capacity Middle East
09:15
  1. Capacity Stage
    15 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East
09:30
  1. Capacity Stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East

    As AI, machine learning, and SaaS reshape the digital infrastructure landscape at unprecedented speed, the capabilities needed to succeed in this industry are undergoing a fundamental transformation. This panel explores how organisations can evolve their workforce strategies to stay competitive and future-ready. 

    • How are companies addressing the growing talent gap? 
    • What effective reskilling and upskilling pathways are emerging to prepare teams for AI-driven operations? 
    • How can mentorship effectively attract and integrate new talent into the industry?
    • What strategies are successfully incentivising new talent to join the digital infrastructure workforce?
10:15
  1. Capacity Stage
    45 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East

    Diversity is more than a buzzword in the digital infrastructure industry—it’s essential for building a truly representative workforce. Innovation thrives when teams bring together different perspectives and experiences, creating a work environment that fuels growth. In this session, we will explore

    • What are the current barriers to entry for diverse talent and career advancement?
    • How can companies create policies and cultures that support and promote diversity and drive retention?
    • How these diverse talent pools helping to address critical skills gaps in the industry?
11:00
  1. Capacity Stage
    60 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Networking
    • Capacity Middle East

    Join us for brunch alongside our sparking discussion roundtables.

     Discussion topics:

    • How are we fostering belonging?
    • How to get the most out of mentorship?
    • How to inspire the next generation of talent?
    • How to retain new talent?
    • How to AI proof your career?
12:00
  1. Capacity Stage
    30 mins
    • Datacloud Middle East
    • Capacity Middle East