Saudi Arabia is set to establish a $5 billion artificial intelligence (AI) data center in NEOM, the kingdom’s ambitious megacity, as part of its push to become a global tech and innovation hub.
State media reported that the agreement, signed between DataVolt and NEOM, will fund the development of a fully sustainable AI data center with a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts. The facility will be located in Oxagon, NEOM’s high-tech industrial district, which is envisioned as the world’s largest floating industrial complex.
NEOM, a centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative, aims to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil. One of its most striking projects is The Line—a 170-kilometer-long mirrored city designed to house millions in a sustainable, high-tech urban environment.
While initial projections aimed for one million residents by 2030 and nine million by 2045, developers have reportedly scaled down expectations to around 300,000 residents by the decade’s end.
Despite these adjustments, NEOM is already making strides, with Sindalah, a luxury island resort on the Red Sea, opening in late 2023 as its first operational project.
The AI data center investment marks a significant step in Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a global leader in artificial intelligence, sustainable technology, and futuristic urban development.
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