JLL has appointed Larry Baker as the Director of Data Centre Solutions, Project & Development Services Middle East & Africa. Based in Dubai, Baker will lead and develop JLL’s data centre projects across the region.
According to the firm, Baker has over 30 years of experience delivering data centre and mission-critical facilities around the globe. His track record is said to include Tier 3 and Tier 4 hyper-scale and colocation data centre projects across their entire lifecycle from concept to operations.
Data is a critical asset for any organisation today; with a growing reliance on technology platforms and cloud-based storage over the last few years, the need for dependable, efficient, and sustainable data centres has never been greater, JLL said.
In early September 2022, Khazna Data Centres and BEEAH Digital said they would bring the first Tier 3 data centre to Sharjah and, in early January 2023, the Digital DEWA subsidiary launched the first AI-driven cyber security system.
“As we scale up efforts to strengthen our specialist data centre capability in the region, we are confident that Larry’s extensive experience and in-depth market knowledge make him an asset in our business. Larry’s team will bring a bespoke offering to our clients as we re-look at how data centres are delivered from sustainability, health and safety through to resilience planning to ensure the best value for our clients,” said Ben Jackson, Head of Project & Development Services for the Middle East & Africa at JLL.
Baker’s appointment will help JLL address the upsurge in demand for specialist data centre projects and development services in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), while aligning with its global data centre client’s local requirements, the statement explained.
“I am delighted to join JLL at such an exciting time where the data centre markets in the Middle East and Africa have become one of the fastest data usage regions in the world. I look forward to delivering outstanding results to our clients and cementing JLL’s position as the leading data centre delivery partner in the Middle East and Africa,” concluded Baker.
In early February 2023, it was announced that DAMAC Data Centres’ KSA facilities would go live before the end of 2023.