Hyperscalers and data center operators must work in partnership with government
How the industry moves from individual projects to a unified approach will be high on the agenda at Data Center World Middle East, the premier global event for data center, IT infrastructure and innovation for more than four decades, which makes its Middle East debut in Abu Dhabi next week.
Abu Dhabi is already the Middle East’s largest data center market, with 374MW of IT capacity, according to the EMEA Mid-Year Data Center Report 2026 from JLL.
Industry partners
“Developers must look beyond individual facilities and work with governments, utilities, and industry partners to build an ecosystem that can support sustainable, large-scale AI infrastructure,” commented Mehdi Paryavi, Chairman and CEO, International Data Center Authority (IDCA).
For the companies running Gulf capacity, that work starts long before a facility opens. Khazna Data Centers, one of the world’s fastest-growing hyperscale data center platforms, with 30 data centers in operation and 673MW of capacity, is central to the UAE’s ambitions.
“Higher densities require us to rethink cooling strategies, maintenance regimes and emergency procedures well before new capacity goes live. Equally important is ensuring our teams understand how these systems work together, not in isolation,” stated Morten Tidemand, Senior Director of Operations, Khazna Data Centers.
Organizers
Data Center World Middle East organised by inD, an Informa/DWTC company, runs on 17–18 November at the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi.
“Data Center World Middle East is where the people who build, power, finance and regulate the region’s AI infrastructure meet to make decisions. Abu Dhabi has made the commitments,” remarked Tara Gibb, Senior Event Director, Data Center World.
Data Center World Middle East is supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and The UAE Cybersecurity Council. Sponsors include Midea Building Technologies, Kerno, Enover Heat Pipe Systems, Endress+Hauser and Seagate.
