UAE and Saudi Arabia to add up to 3 GW of data center power by 2030

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are projected to add between 2 GW and 3 GW of IT power capacity to the Middle East’s data center market by 2030, according to a report by S&P Global Ratings. These two nations are expected to account for more than 80 percent of all new data center capacity additions within the GCC region.

Growth is being driven by accelerating investments in artificial intelligence, government support, and relatively low energy costs. While the UAE is currently accelerating its expansion, Saudi Arabia’s capacity additions are expected to materialize later in the decade. Major projects include the 5 GW UAE-U.S. AI Campus, which features the Stargate UAE infrastructure cluster, and projects by the Public Investment Fund-backed company HUMAIN, which could reach up to 1.9 GW by 2030 and potentially 6.6 GW by 2034.

Although these additions represent less than 2 percent of the expected global IT power capacity through 2030—with the majority of global growth concentrated in the U.S. and Canada—the Middle East remains a significant regional player. Factors such as data localization requirements, sovereign cloud policies, and energy affordability are expected to support domestic demand.