RIYADH: The foundation stone for the building of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority’s Hexagon data center was laid on Thursday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The facility will be the largest tier IV-rated government data center — the highest level among such installations — in the world, and will have the highest classification level, according to the Uptime Institute, a global advisory organization.
The center will be built on a 30 million sq. ft site in Riyadh and will have a total capacity of 480 MW. It has been designed to provide the highest levels of availability, security, and operational readiness for government data centers amid a growing reliance on electronic services, SPA said.
A ceremony to mark the occasion was attended by officials who were hosted by the President of SDAIA, Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi.
Al-Ghamdi said the project will help the Kingdom become a global leader in data and AI.
“The Hexagon data center will be followed by the establishment of other centers. This center is a qualitative strategic boost toward making the Kingdom a global center for data, ensuring data sovereignty and security, and enabling innovation and a digital economy,” he said.
The landmark project is environmentally friendly, with innovative solutions in energy efficiency and smart cooling, and modern technologies for low energy consumption computing, Al-Ghamdi said.
