Arcadis report lists UAE as one of the top markets for new data centres
Report looks at a number of key criteria including GDP per capita, dealing with construction permits, energy security and more
The United States, Singapore, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the UAE have been named as the top favorable markets for localisation in Arcadis’ Data Center Location Index 2021 report. The report includes 50 markets across six continents ranking optimal places to build data centres in the world, with the UAE taking the seventh spot in the listing.
According to a statement from Arcadis, the index is based on each market’s performance across eight key criteria: GDP per capita, dealing with construction permits, price of electricity, energy security, cybersecurity, domestic market size, the number of mobile broadband subscriptions and mean download speed.
The firm notes that the purpose of the index is to provide insights that can be used to guide the decision-making process about where to establish a new facility. Selecting the best location is a critical factor that helps determine how well a data centre investment will perform, as well as making sure the undertaking will be resilient and sustainable in a particular community, the company explained.
The report outlines a roadmap for the process of building a new data centre and commentary on the significant current issues impacting the industry including climate change, the effects of COVID-19, and the growth of hyperscalers, the statement noted.
“Arcadis has the global scale and expertise to help accelerate the building of data centre infrastructure that supports our digital lives. We help clients make the best location choices and other decisions that result in a solid, sustainable investment that benefits all stakeholders including the community,” says Peter Oosterveer, Arcadis CEO.
The statement said that Arcadis partners with clients across the entire data centre construction process, delivering due diligence, project management, cost management, design, stakeholder engagement, and digital capabilities to help companies optimize the planning, building, operations and maintenance of a new facility.
Natalie Sauber, Arcadis UK Market Intelligence lead concludes, “Our lives are increasingly moving online, leading to a surge in data creation and consumption. This, in turn, requires us to build a resilient and growing infrastructure. While each project will ultimately depend on a unique combination of factors, this index is meant to provide a starting point to help clients think through the decision criteria influencing the optimal location.”
