ABU DHABI, 14 Oct. - (ANA) - Despite attacks on (and repeated threats to) the Gulf’s digital infrastructure, the massive data center buildout will continue to make the region a global hub for AI, according to S&P Global Ratings. 

 

Redundancy and site diversification, now crucial after the Iran war, are reshaping how projects are designed and financed.

 

With advanced chips now arriving after the US loosened export restrictions, the availability and sequencing of power, grid connections, water, and cooling infrastructure will increasingly determine which projects get financed and built. 

 

The shift from hosting small enterprise cloud sites to planning some of the world’s largest AI campuses has been swift, with the growing need to keep data within national borders accelerating the trend, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to S&P.

 

Data centers are becoming critical to the GCC region's digital and AI ambitions, as governments and businesses seek to build the computing infrastructure needed to support the rapid growth of AI and cloud services. In just a few years, GCC countries have moved from hosting relatively small enterprise colocation facilities to announcing some of the world's largest AI-focused data center campuses.  

 

Rather than mere IT or real estate assets, data centers are increasingly being treated as a critical part of national infrastructure, alongside power, water, transport, and industrial infrastructure. - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/14 October 2026 - - -