Taranis Capital Limited, an investment firm regulated by the DFSA and located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), has formally entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Emaar Executive Company (EEC). The collaboration aims to develop, construct, and operate a series of advanced, carrier-neutral data centre facilities across Saudi Arabia.
This partnership integrates Taranis Capital’s fund management and investor network with EEC’s comprehensive engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) capabilities, as well as its expertise in design and operations. The goal is to create a fully integrated platform that enhances world-class digital infrastructure in the Kingdom.
Addressing the Kingdom’s Infrastructure Gap
Saudi Arabia’s data centre sector is currently facing remarkable demand, largely due to the swift adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and various digital transformation projects related to Vision 2030. Despite significant investments from global hyperscalers, the Kingdom struggles to provide adequate carrier-neutral, multi-tenant facilities necessary for fulfilling the connectivity needs of enterprises, content providers, and cloud platforms.
The newly formed alliance will concentrate on establishing strategically positioned data centre campuses to close this gap. Planned facilities are expected to feature:
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A capacity of 40–50 MW per site.
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Integration of cutting-edge cooling technologies.
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Flexible designs capable of accommodating evolving AI workloads, including NVIDIA’s next-generation GPU architectures.
Leadership Perspectives
Nicholas Bingham, founding partner and CEO of Taranis Capital, underscored the intense market demand prompting this initiative. He remarked, “This partnership brings together exactly the right combination of capabilities to deliver on the enormous data centre opportunity in Saudi Arabia.”
Bingham also noted that investors are increasingly viewing digital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia as a compelling global investment theme. Milan Radia, partner of data centre strategy at Taranis Capital, emphasized the necessity for an ecosystem model tailored to the region, stating, “What is missing in the Saudi market is the connectivity ecosystem model that made companies like Equinix, Telecity, and Interxion so successful in Europe.”
Karthik Ramaswamy, COO of EEC, highlighted the operational strengths of the joint venture, noting that EEC brings more than a decade of experience in delivering intricate technology infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia. “This partnership will allow us to scale our capabilities and contribute to the Kingdom’s ambition of becoming a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence,” he added.
Strategic Support from SIPA
The Saudi Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA) has shown strong commitment to this partnership, playing a crucial role in its development. SIPA will facilitate the regulatory and licensing processes necessary for the data centres, ensuring a smooth investor experience.
According to the press release, SIPA’s involvement underscores its role as a key contributor to Saudi Arabia’s aspirations of becoming a global digital infrastructure hub. This initiative aligns closely with Vision 2030, particularly in advancing digital capacity, fostering innovation, supporting economic diversification, and achieving technological leadership throughout the Kingdom.