Artificial intelligence has become the single biggest force in global digital infrastructure. Over 11,800 data centres were operational worldwide as of early 2024 — roughly twice as many as five years earlier — and the hyperscale segment powering AI and cloud workloads passed 1,100 facilities in 2025. Behind the headline numbers sits a structural shift in where capacity is built, who funds it, and which skills the industry now competes for.

The GCC's data center market is expanding fast, projected to grow from roughly $1.9 billion in 2024 to $17.1 billion by 2033 — a compound annual growth rate near 28 percent.