Kuwait
Kuwait wealth fund joins Microsoft and BlackRock’s $30bn AI Infrastructure Partnership
The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) has joined Microsoft and BlackRock’s $30 billion AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), becoming the first non-founding financial anchor. While the exact amount of KIA’s contribution is undisclosed, the move marks KIA’s first AI investment under its new director, Sheikh Saoud Salem Al-Sabah.
AIP, founded in September by BlackRock with Microsoft and Abu Dhabi’s MGX, aims to raise $30 billion in equity and $70 billion in debt to fund AI data centres and energy projects. Partners include Nvidia, xAI, NextEra Energy, and GE Vernova, who are collaborating on scaling energy solutions and infrastructure.
The KIA, with $1 trillion in assets, has a history of infrastructure investments. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund is also pursuing AI through its new venture, Humain, in partnership with Nvidia…Read more
Zain and Rakuten Symphony to partner on Kuwait’s first Open RAN deployment
Zain Kuwait has partnered with Rakuten Symphony to launch the country’s first Open RAN (Radio Access Network)deployment, aiming to establish a cloud-native 5G Standalone (5G SA) network.
The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a pilot project, which will roll out in phases in Kuwait and may later expand to Zain Group’s other markets across the Middle East and North Africa, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Morocco.
Rakuten Symphony will provide its virtualised Open RAN software and cloud-native solutions, while Zain will supply infrastructure including cell sites, data centres, and core transport networks.
The initiative aims to deliver greater network agility, efficiency, and scalability, and is seen by Zain as a strategic step toward regional digital innovation…Read more
Middle East
Gulf investors help fund the growth of Turkeys data centre market
Turkey’s data centre sector is experiencing significant growth, fueled by major investments from Gulf-based entities. Key developments include:
• Trendyol, a Turkish e-commerce company, is partnering with UAE’s Castle Investments to build a $500 million data centre in Ankara. The centre will initially provide 10MW of capacity, expanding to 48MW, with Trendyol using 60% and the rest available to other clients.
• Other Gulf investors are also active:
• Dubai Islamic Bank is lending $150 million to Turkcell to boost its infrastructure.
• Emirates NBD previously provided Turkcell with $113 million.
• Khazna Data Centres (Dubai-based) will also invest in the Ankara hub.
This surge in investment is linked to rising global demand for AI and data security.
The growth of data centres is expected to bolster Turkey’s digital economy and start-up ecosystem, enabling local companies to access essential technologies and build global connections more quickly…Read more