Khazna Data Centres and BEEAH Digital bring first Tier 3 data centre to Sharjah
The new Tier 3 data centre will support the Sharjah Government’s ambitious digital transformation efforts
Khazna Data Centres and BEEAH Digital have formed a joint venture (JV) company to advance digital infrastructure in Sharjah, starting with the city’s first Tier 3 data centre. The newly established JV will be called One Data Centre SPV Limited and operate under the name of Khazna Data Centres.
According to a WAM report, the data centre will be equipped with high-tech security, fire and environmental control systems, as well as full redundancy grade power.
In a signing ceremony at the BEEAH Group Headquarters, Hassan Alnaqbi, CEO of Khazna Data Centres, and Khaled Al Huraimel, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of BEEAH Group, officially formed the JV.
In February 2022, Robin Keuning, Lead Project Manager at Turner & Townsend told Middle East Construction News (MECN) there’s no substitute for engaging a project manager who already has first-hand experience to lead a quality-driven data centre development to successful completion.
As the venture’s inaugural project, the Tier 3 data centre will support the Sharjah Government’s ambitious digital transformation efforts. It will also enable organisations across the UAE to pursue digitally led operations that deliver scalable high-performance services, create new jobs and commercial opportunities, and foster customer satisfaction.
Alnaqbi said: “Data centres are cornerstones in enabling innovation and driving growth for businesses across various sectors. They are also creating digital opportunities and seamless connections as businesses continue to develop and scale their operations. At Khazna Data Centres, we are focused on further investments in building the infrastructure in the UAE to enable our existing and new customers in Sharjah, specifically to launch their services closer to their consumers.”
The data centre will be well positioned to support businesses in enhancing their customers’ experiences, unlocking the value of technologies, and making headway on their carbon footprint reduction goals by meeting their environmental and sustainability needs, he added.
In March, EDGNEX said it broke ground on a new 20MW data centre in Riyadh.
Once operational, the centre will have a capacity of 9MW. It will have multiple power and cooling pathways, maximising uptime while minimising the cost of maintenance and power. Technologies to reduce cooling requirements will be integrated into the data centre. With solar power, the project will minimise emissions relating to power consumption. Inside, smart LED lighting with motion sensors will also help conserve energy. With a Power Usage Efficiency of 1.5 and below, the data centre will be more energy-efficient than the industry average, the statement said.
It will also be designed to reduce water consumption with systems to reuse and recycle wastewater. It is aligned with Khazna’s ‘Future First Strategy’, which aims to achieve carbon-neutrality operations across all its sites by 2050. The data centre is also aligned with BEEAH Digital’s purpose, which is to accelerate sustainable impact for societies using robust digital solutions.
Ultimately, the data centre will adopt Net Zero waste standards and certifications, benchmarked against the UAE’s sustainability agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Khazna and BEEAH Digital are committed to exploring renewable energy sources to meet the data centre’s power requirements. The facility will also be constructed to achieve green building certifications from Estidama and LEED.
Al Huraimel noted, “With a Tier 3 data centre, we can enhance the available infrastructure for government entities and private companies. The advanced IT infrastructure will help boost investments, attract business and bring world-class services and data sovereignty for the wider public.”
Earlier, the BEEAH Group launched the region’s first commercial-scale, waste-to-energy plant in Sharjah with a 30MW output. A portion of the output from this waste-to-energy plant is being explored as a potential energy source.
