ICS Arabia, a prominent design-build-operate data center company in Saudi Arabia, has recently announced the start of construction on the Desert Dragon Data Centers. These cutting-edge data centers will have a total capacity of 187 megawatts (MW) and are the result of a collaboration between ICS Arabia and the Shanghai-based Lumaotong Group (LMT). The project was initiated following the signing of a tri-party Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with China Mobile International (CMI) in Saudi Arabia on September 11, 2023. ICS Arabia has completed the design for the cluster of Tier III and IV data centers, with rack capacities ranging from 2 kW to 100 kW for both conventional racks and immersive cooling technologies.
The first phase of the Desert Dragon Data Centers will see the launch of a Tier III 65 MW data center in Riyadh, with operations set to begin in March 2026. The second phase involves the construction of a 50 MW data center in Jeddah, starting in February 2025 and becoming operational in the fourth quarter of 2026. The third phase will include a 72 MW data center in Dammam and NEOM, with construction scheduled to begin in September 2025. Over the course of three years, the joint venture between ICS Arabia, LMT, and CMI will invest a total of $1.90 billion in the Kingdom, with a focus on creating green, intelligent, and multi-integration data centers.
General Abdullah A. AlMazny (Retd.), Managing Director of ICS Arabia, emphasized the significance of the Desert Dragon Data Centers in advancing Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure and supporting the goals of Vision 2030. This cluster of data centers will offer a range of integrated solutions, including cloud hosting, cyber solutions, and AI technology hosting, to drive the digital economy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and big data in the Kingdom. Ms. Bonnie Chen, Managing Director of CMI Saudi Arabia, highlighted the enhanced international connectivity services that CMI will provide through the highly secure and robust Tier III and Tier IV uptime-certified data centers, aiming to strengthen interconnectivity across the Middle East and support the global digital economy.
Mr. Zhan Lujin, Chairman of LMT Group, discussed LMT’s plans to bring various emerging industry sectors to Saudi Arabia, such as new energy, new materials, cross-border e-commerce, and bulk trade trading platforms. The Desert Dragon Data Center will cater to the information and data service needs of these industries, promoting greater cooperation on the digital frontier and supporting the region’s Belt and Road Initiative projects. This ambitious project signifies Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a regional leader in technology and innovation, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives. The Desert Dragon Data Centers will offer state-of-the-art facilities and services to global customers, supporting various sectors and driving economic growth in the digital era.
