NEWS
XDS Datacentres signs 15-year deal to host 10MW of AI workloads in Saudi’ s Desert Dragons facilities
workloads such as AI, Deep Learning, Blockchain and other GPU-intensive applications. The facilities will set new benchmarks for energy-efficient, highperformance computing in the region.
UK and Dubai-based XDS Datacentres, a pioneer in liquid immersion digital infrastructure, has signed a major agreement with ICS Arabia for the construction and delivery of a world-first, state-of-the-art 10MW immersion-cooled data centre in Riyadh and Jeddah.
This strategic collaboration, developed within ICS Arabia’ s Desert Dragon technology ecosystem, will bring advanced computing capacity, sustainability and scalability to support Saudi Arabia’ s Digital Transformation.
Under the terms of the 15-year agreement, ICS Arabia will design, construct and hand over two 10MW facilities to XDS by Q4 2026. The project will utilise Desert Dragon’ s Tier III certified infrastructure and immersion cooling technology to support high-density
Ghufran Hamid, Chief Executive Officer at XDS, said:“ We are pleased to partner with ICS Arabia on this landmark deployment. The Kingdom represents a key growth market for XDS, and the initial 10MW facilities will showcase the potential of immersion-cooled infrastructure to deliver both performance and sustainability. XDS would like to contribute to Vision 2030 by supplying sustainable infrastructure meeting global ESG standards.
“ This isn’ t just another facility, it’ s the beginning of a new era. No other data centre company is providing the services XDS will provide, with the switch from aircooled to liquid immersion.”
Vodafone Qatar partners with Nokia to boost 5G speed, reliability and automation
Vodafone Qatar has selected Nokia to lead a nationwide network modernisation effort that will enable the operator to deliver faster, more secure and highly adaptable 5G services to consumers and businesses across the country.
The deal includes core upgrades, expanded 5G capacity and enhanced broadband aimed at improving reliability, service quality and operational efficiency. aims to meet those needs. Nokia’ s solutions will transform the network with intelligent broadband access, 5G slicing for enterprise offerings and scalable infrastructure that evolves alongside digital applications.
“ Vodafone Qatar continuously embraces new opportunities to deploy emerging technologies as part of its commitment to driving Digital Transformation in Qatar, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. Our work with Nokia enables us to become more agile and responsive to the evolving needs of customers and businesses. By integrating advanced fiber, mobile and cloud capabilities, we are shaping a smarter, more secure network that can support everything from customised home Wi-Fi to the latest enterprise technologies,” said Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim Al-Thani, CEO, Vodafone Qatar.
In a significant expansion of their existing partnership, Vodafone Qatar will adopt Nokia’ s end-to-end technology to increase network capacity and reduce latency. The upgrade will also accelerate time-to-market for new services by introducing greater agility through automation and enhanced security.
As demand for high-speed connectivity rises in Qatar’ s fast-evolving digital economy – where the ICT sector is forecast to grow at 8.5 % annually through 2030 – the operator
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