Artificial intelligence has turned the data centre into the most contested asset class in the global economy — and the professionals who design, build, commission and run these facilities into some of the most sought-after people in engineering.

The Gulf's data centre market has moved from niche to mega-sector, with $9bn awarded in just two years and a $120bn pipeline ahead — driven by AI demand, cheap power and sovereign data laws.

The AI infrastructure race is no longer just about chips — it's about whether facilities can be powered and cooled fast enough to keep up.

There are 174 active and planned data centre projects across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, worth more than $93bn combined.

State-backed AI venture Humain has announced a major expansion of its infrastructure footprint, securing 211 plots of land across Saudi Arabia for future data centre development.

The Middle East is rapidly transforming into a top-tier destination for digital infrastructure. Driven by a surge in AI, cloud computing, and strategic government backing, data centre capacity in the region is projected to triple, growing from 1GW in 2025 to 3.3GW by 2030.

In a major move at the World Economic Forum, PIF-backed Humain and the National Infrastructure Fund (Infra) have signed a non-binding framework agreement to finance $1.2 billion for the development of 250MW of hyperscale AI data centre capacity in Saudi Arabia.