Data centres – here today, here tomorrow: Middle East outlook

From Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to Dubai and Jeddah, the Middle East has emerged as a global hotspot for data centre development. In this episode, we assess the investment opportunities and highlight trends to watch out for. In this episode, we bring together a panel of Ashurst experts with many years’ experience working in corporate transactions and technology in the Middle East. Together, they discuss where the data centre landscape is today—and where it’s heading tomorrow. Host Ruth Harris is joined by Ashurst colleagues Simon Rahimzada and Vasi Papadopoulos who serve Ashurst’s Middle East practice across offices in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah. Simon and Vasi paint a vivid picture of data centre growth in the region and what is fueling the surging demand. They also explain investment flows, emphasise the importance of government backing, and discuss how AI is changing the game. Simon provides a snapshot of changing regulatory priorities, where ESG fits into the investment equation, which international and regional players are investing in the region, and how collaborations and joint ventures can accelerate speed to market. And Vasi adds that regional entities (e.g. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, etc) are diversifying into global markets, too. The panel also pinpoints the challenges to watch out for in the Middle East region, including the need for the necessary infrastructure and environment to support data centres. To listen to this and subscribe to future epsiodes about data centres, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. To read more about data centres, head to Ashurst's data centre insights hub. To find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts, visit ashurst.com/podcasts. The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.