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)
TT
20

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.



Egyptian Inflation Climbs to 13.9% in April

 Cotton candy vendors walk during a dusty weather, before expected sandstorm, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP)
Cotton candy vendors walk during a dusty weather, before expected sandstorm, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP)
TT
20

Egyptian Inflation Climbs to 13.9% in April

 Cotton candy vendors walk during a dusty weather, before expected sandstorm, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP)
Cotton candy vendors walk during a dusty weather, before expected sandstorm, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP)

Egypt's annual urban consumer price inflation accelerated to 13.9% in April from 13.6% in March, matching analyst expectations, data from statistics agency CAPMAS showed on Saturday.

Month on month, prices were 1.5% higher at the end of April than at end-March. Food and beverage prices decelerated by 1.5%. Annually, food and beverage prices rose by 6.0%.

The median forecast of analysts polled by Reuters was for annual inflation to have climbed to 13.9%. They cited an increase in the official price of fuel as the main cause.

Inflation soared following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, which prompted foreign investors to withdraw billions of dollars from Egyptian treasuries. Headline inflation rose by a record 38.0% in September 2023.

M2 money supply expanded in the year to end-March, but at a slower rate, dropping to 25.8% from an all-time high of 33.9% at the end of February, central bank data showed.

Egypt devalued its currency, raised interest rates by 600 basis points and signed an $8 billion financial support package with the International Monetary Fund in March last year, helping to bring its finances under control.