Joint Saudi-German Investment for the Manufacture of Large Data Centers

CEO and partner of Legacy Technologies, Sem Köksal. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
CEO and partner of Legacy Technologies, Sem Köksal. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Joint Saudi-German Investment for the Manufacture of Large Data Centers

CEO and partner of Legacy Technologies, Sem Köksal. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
CEO and partner of Legacy Technologies, Sem Köksal. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

German and Saudi investors signed partnerships to enhance critical security infrastructure with the aim to establish the first factory in the Middle East for the manufacture of technological equipment and supplies and the production of large data centers.

Sem Köksal, CEO and partner of Legacy Technologies, revealed his recent endeavors with the Saudi government and private institutions to establish a “next generation data center” company, in order to localize the manufacture data centers in Riyadh.

The project will make Saudi Arabia the first country in the Middle East to have this type of data centers and would allow it to export its products to countries around the world.

Legacy Technologies is a German company that specializes in highly secure modular data centers using unique cyber-security tools and highly advanced energy systems to build secure, energy-efficient and sustainable next-generation data centers.

Köksal told Asharq Al-Awsat that while partnerships have already been signed with Saudi investors, the company is looking to forge cooperation agreements with Saudi governmental and private agencies, to contribute to strengthening critical security infrastructure.

He revealed that the company has signed a contract worth $560 million with the Saudi Excellence Holding to establish a joint company in the Kingdom, which is expected to start operations in September 2022.

This will be “the nucleus of a global partnership to enter the global market from Saudi Arabia,” according to Köksal.

It will be the first company to manufacture data centers in the Kingdom by Saudi engineers, he added.

He also noted that Legal Technologies was working closely with Prince Sultan University to establish a center and academy for research and development, stressing the Saudi market was one of the most interesting markets in the region.

He remarked that several global companies are closely watching the development achieved by Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

These companies are eager to enter the Saudi market, Köksal revealed, saying the matter is not about “if” but rather “when” they will join.



Iraq, US Sign Preliminary Deal on Projects Including 24,000 MW of Power Plants

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives the American business delegation. (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives the American business delegation. (Iraqi government)
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Iraq, US Sign Preliminary Deal on Projects Including 24,000 MW of Power Plants

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives the American business delegation. (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives the American business delegation. (Iraqi government)

Iraq and the United States signed on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding for projects in the country, including 24,000 megawatts of power plants, the Iraqi prime minister's media office said.

Another MoU has been inked between Iraq's Ministry of Electricity and US company UGT Renewables to establish an integrated solar energy project with a capacity of 3,000 MW, the media office said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump's administration last month rescinded a sanctions waiver that since 2018 has allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity as Washington presses on with its "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran.

Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, uses Iranian power imports to generate electricity and has been under pressure from the US to reduce its reliance on power and gas imports from Iran.