Oman has started the migration of 120 government entities to an integrated cloud platform, which will require backing from servers at data centers. In 2021, more than $6 billion were spent on building data centers in the Middle East and North Africa. The demand for cloud services has prompted major tech firms, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, to build data centers in the region. 

Now, Oman’s Sohar Port and Freezone have inked a pact to lease 25000 sqm of land to a Chinese firm to build a cloud data center. The facility, which is expected to be operational by the end of this year, is also the first information-technology project in the freezone. It’ll be home to a multi-functional server room, which will support AI, cloud computing, and big data.

The Chinese firm United Projects Achievement will set up the data center to provide cloud services across the Middle East, in line with success in its home market. The company is among the ten leading cloud computing platforms in China. The project is also the second Chinese investment in the Sohar Freezone and will attract more firms from the country to Oman.

These facilities are powered by energy-efficient power sources and have cooling systems to ensure that the functioning of the servers isn’t hampered by overheating. Organizations such as Dubai’s Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are also building solar-powered data centers in the Middle East.

The data center boom has also benefited the Middle East’s real estate sector. UAE-based developer Damac has partnered with an Irish firm Dataplex to build data centers in Europe.