- JLL advises Damac Digital on land acquisition for an AI-driven data centre in Bintan Regency, Indonesia.
- The move reflects growing interest in Southeast Asia’s digital infrastructure development and sovereign data control.
What happened: JLL facilitates Damac Digital’s Indonesia expansion
Real estate advisory firm JLL has announced its role in facilitating Damac Digital’s acquisition of land for a hyperscale AI data centre in Indonesia. The transaction involved a 15-hectare site in Bintan Regency, a location selected for its proximity to Singapore and its position within Indonesia’s Special Economic Zone. The project forms part of Damac Group’s expansion under its technology arm, with development planned through Edgnex Data Centres by Damac.
The site aims to support sovereign cloud services, high-performance computing and AI-specific workloads, offering regional enterprises and governments access to infrastructure aligned with local compliance requirements. According to ReTalk Asia, this marks Damac Digital’s first major move in the Indonesian market and signals continued growth across the Asia-Pacific digital infrastructure sector.
JLL’s involvement included strategic advisory, market assessment and transaction negotiation. The firm cited Bintan’s regulatory incentives and submarine cable connectivity as critical factors influencing site selection. Construction timelines and investment figures have not yet been publicly disclosed.
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Why it’s important
This acquisition is part of a broader trend in which international data centre operators are targeting Southeast Asia as a next-phase growth market. The Bintan development places Damac Digital alongside firms such as ST Telemedia Global Data Centres and Princeton Digital Group, both of which have announced regional expansions in recent quarters. These firms are responding to rising enterprise demand for AI-capable, sovereign, and edge-oriented infrastructure.
Indonesia is positioning itself as a strategic location due to its digital policy reforms, large population, and improving connectivity. Sovereign data infrastructure is becoming a requirement in the region, driven by regulations such as Indonesia’s GR71 and the increasing role of AI in public and private sector operations. The Bintan SEZ offers tax and operational incentives that make it attractive for foreign investment while maintaining national jurisdiction over data operations.
Damac Digital’s entry reinforces the view that AI is not only transforming compute requirements, but also altering geopolitical strategies around data hosting. Land acquisition in this context is more than a real estate transaction—it reflects long-term bets on regional regulatory alignment, infrastructure resilience, and digital sovereignty.
