RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s data center sector has expanded sixfold since the launch of Vision 2030, with investments exceeding SR16 billion ($4.26 billion), official data showed.
The number of operational data centers has risen to more than 60, developed by over 20 companies, according to a statement from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The growth reflects increasing demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services, as Saudi Arabia positions itself as a regional technology hub. Market revenue from data centers is projected to reach $2.83 billion by 2030, expanding at an annual rate of 6.45 percent, according to Statista.
“Data centers represent the backbone of all digital services, from e-government services to e-commerce and cloud computing,” the statement said.
It added: “These centers support the implementation of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and smart cities, as well as enable companies to analyze big data and automate processes.”
The Kingdom has made significant strides in this sector in recent years, and strengthened its presence at an international level.
In February, Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Alghamdi said the Kingdom had become the first Arab nation to join the Global Partnership on AI and hosts the UNESCO-sponsored International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics in Riyadh.
These initiatives reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence to support economic diversification and serve humanity globally.
The Kingdom ranked 14th in the 2025 Global AI Index and holds a leading position in the Arab world for AI model development.
Investment in the sector has grown significantly, with government spending on emerging technologies rising by more than 56 percent in 2024, and AI companies securing $9.1 billion in funding.
In May, Humain was launched under the Public Investment Fund. Chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it aims to build a full AI stack — from data centers and cloud infrastructure to models and applications — positioning the Kingdom as a globally competitive AI hub.
The project plans to establish a data center capacity of 1.8 gigawatts by 2030 and 100 GW of AI compute capacity by 2026.
Saudi Aramco in 2023 announced the construction of its first world-class data center to support its digital transformation strategy.
