Race for AI Supremacy in Middle East Is Measured in Data Centers
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are rushing to build infrastructure as they vie to become the regional tech superpower.
Illustration: Qianhui Yu for Bloomberg Businessweek
One of the best places to view the Gulf states’ unfolding rivalry over artificial intelligence is inside an unmarked building in an industrial park near a golf course on the outskirts of Dubai. The windowless facility is cool and extraordinarily clean. Upon entering, guests step onto sticky blue floor mats designed to prevent stray sand particles from making their way inside. Like the scorching heat outside, any speck of desert dust could be hazardous to the multimillion-dollar equipment stored within.
The 23,648-square-foot complex opened in September, 18 months after construction began. It’s the fourth facility in the United Arab Emirates operated by Equinix Inc., a data center developer based in Redwood City, California. The company is also weighing expansion into neighboring Saudi Arabia.