- Saudi Telecom Company, Humain and Center3 have agreed to build a large AI-optimised data centre to support demand across the Kingdom and region.
- The project, part of Saudi Arabia’s broader digital transformation strategy, aims to attract AI and cloud workloads with high-performance infrastructure.
What happened: Partners launch major data centre project for AI growth
Saudi Telecom Company (stc), Saudi investor Humain and data centre operator Center3 have joined forces to develop a new, AI-capable data centre facility in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration was announced as part of an initiative to expand high-performance computing and digital services capacity amid rising demand from cloud providers, enterprises and government agencies.
The facility will be designed to host large-scale artificial intelligence workloads, offering robust power, cooling and connectivity tailored to advanced compute use cases. stc said the project reflects growing interest in bringing AI infrastructure closer to end users in the Middle East, reducing latency and improving data sovereignty for customers that require local hosting.
Humain, which has been active in strategic digital economy investments, will contribute funding and expertise to support the development. Center3, a data centre operator with regional experience, will provide operational management and technical support to ensure the new campus meets performance and reliability standards.
The partners did not disclose the full cost or timeline for the project, but they emphasised that work has already begun on site preparation and design. Initial phases are expected to focus on establishing core infrastructure and enabling connectivity to national and international networks.
stc has previously accelerated investments in digital infrastructure, including fibre networks and cloud partnerships, to support Saudi Vision 2030 — the country’s economic diversification and technology development plan. With AI adoption increasing across public and private sectors, the need for scalable, resilient compute resources has become more urgent.
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Why it’s important
The data centre project underscores how Middle Eastern markets are competing to become regional hubs for artificial intelligence and cloud services. Saudi Arabia’s investment environment, backed by government initiatives, has attracted interest from global technology firms and investors seeking to capitalise on growth in digital workloads.
AI-ready facilities differ from traditional data centres by offering enhanced power density, specialised cooling systems and connectivity optimised for machine learning training and inference. As workloads grow more complex, such infrastructure becomes essential not only for performance but also for energy efficiency and sustainability.
Furthermore, locating key compute resources within the Kingdom supports data sovereignty policies, which are increasingly important for public sector and regulated industries. Reduced reliance on distant cloud regions can improve performance for latency-sensitive applications while keeping data within national jurisdictions.
The collaboration also highlights a maturing ecosystem of partners capable of delivering large-scale digital infrastructure — a trend that observers say will encourage further investment and innovation across the region.
