Bahrain
National Bank of Bahrain launches a data centre
The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has launched a new Tier III-certified data centre at its headquarters, marking the culmination of an 18-month initiative to modernise the bank’s infrastructure. Certified by the Uptime Institute, the facility reflects NBB’s ongoing investment in building long-term resilience. The project involved the modernisation of legacy systems, carried out over eight phased migration activities. It also supports NBB’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, and ‘’represents NBB’s continued investment in infrastructure that delivers long-term resilience,” commented NBB Group Chief Executive Usman Ahmed. NBB states it is the only bank in Bahrain currently operating a Tier III-certified data centre…Read more
UAE
Khazna teams up with Eni for a 500MW data centre campus in Italy
Khazna Data Centers and Italian energy giant Eni have signed a Heads of Terms agreement to jointly develop a 500MW AI data centre campus in Ferrera Erbognone, Lombardy. Combining Khazna’s hyperscale expertise with Eni’s innovative “Blue Power” low-carbon energy solution, the project marks Italy’s first integration of decarbonised power with data infrastructure. The venture, backed by high-level officials from the UAE and Italy, is a strategic step in a larger plan aiming for 1GW of IT capacity in Italy. This initiative underscores the UAE-Italy commitment to AI, energy transition, and digital infrastructure, positioning Khazna as a key player in Europe’s tech landscape…Read more
Saudi Arabia
XDS and ICS Arabia ink 15-year deal for 10MW data centres in Saudi Arabia
UAE-based XDS Data Centres has signed a 15-year agreement with Saudi firm ICS Arabia to develop two 10MW immersion-cooled data centres in Riyadh and Jeddah, scheduled for completion by June 2026. Part of ICS Arabia’s Desert Dragon Data Centres initiative, the facilities will support high-density AI and hyperscale workloads with cutting-edge immersion cooling technology. XDS CEO Ghufran Hamid highlighted the partnership as a major step in the company’s regional expansion, positioning Saudi Arabia as a key growth market. The move aligns with the Kingdom’s broader digital infrastructure push, including major initiatives by PIF-backed AI firm Humain and a $5.3Bn AWS cloud investment…Read more
PIF expected to invest in xAI
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is reportedly preparing to take a significant role in an upcoming fundraising round for Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI, potentially valuing the company at $200 billion. Already an indirect investor through Kingdom Holding’s $800 million stake, PIF is expected to participate directly as xAI seeks new capital starting next month, according to the Financial Times. This would mark xAI’s third funding round in under two months, following $10 billion raised in July and a $300 million share sale in June. xAI’s flagship product is Grok, the AI chatbot integrated with X (formerly Twitter), which xAI acquired earlier this year in a $45 billion deal…Read more
Middle East
Huawei pitching AI chips to Gulf and Southeast Asia
Huawei is reportedly exploring exports of its AI chips to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, offering its older Ascend 910B processors to potential buyers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, markets currently dominated by NVIDIA. While no deals have been confirmed, Huawei is also promoting remote access to its more advanced 910C-powered CloudMatrix 384 system, though those chips remain reserved for domestic use due to limited supply. This move comes as part of China’s broader push for semiconductor self-sufficiency amid escalating US export restrictions, with Huawei seeking to carve out a niche in global AI markets despite mounting geopolitical and regulatory challenges…Read more