UAE’s DAMAC Boosts Investment in Saudi Data Centers

Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DAMAC. (DAMAC)
Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DAMAC. (DAMAC)
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UAE’s DAMAC Boosts Investment in Saudi Data Centers

Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DAMAC. (DAMAC)
Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DAMAC. (DAMAC)

Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DAMAC, said that the group’s investment in data centers in Saudi Arabia came after an extensive study of the Saudi market, which offered many promising investment opportunities within the framework of Vision 2030.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Sajwani pointed to the Kingdom’s developed infrastructure, which allows quick access to undersea cable systems, making it one of the most connected countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on both the local and international levels.

“Saudi Arabia’s national fiber optic network provides terrestrial connectivity to all major Gulf markets, and is a gateway to the main regional submarine cable unloading stations,” he said.

Sajwani noted that the idea of investing in data centers in general dates back to 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“After I conducted many consultations with specialized analysts and the work team, we began to develop plans and strategies for investing in data centers… In 2021, we obtained a piece of land in Dammam and began establishing a data center there,” he recounted.

Regarding DAMAC’s future plans, the chairman said that the group was seeking to establish two data centers in Dammam and Riyadh with a total capacity of 35 megawatts.

“We have already started building the Dammam Center, which is expected to be ready by the fourth quarter of this year. At an initial stage, the capacity of each center will reach 5 megawatts by the end of 2023, and will be raised again by adding another 5 megawatts for each center in the last quarter of 2024,” Sajwani told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The total data capacity of the two centers is expected to reach 55 megawatts in 2025,” he added.

The Emirati businessman stressed that Damac’s data centers in Riyadh and Dammam will support Vision 2030, by providing a basis for digital transformation and local and regional innovation.

He revealed that the volume of his group’s investments in data centers in Saudi Arabia amounted to about $600 million and constituted 60 percent of the total volume of DAMAC’s investments in data centers.

Saudi Arabia has been witnessing “a tremendous development in the field of investment, through an ambitious youth vision led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to enhance investment opportunities and attract investors from all over the world,” Sajwani emphasized.

He continued: “This growth is the result of the great efforts made by the government to transform the Kingdom into an attractive economic environment for foreign investments, which encouraged many international companies to open regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia.”



Gold Hastens Retreat as Dollar Rallies on Trump Victory

FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Gold bars and gold coins of different sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Gold bars and gold coins of different sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
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Gold Hastens Retreat as Dollar Rallies on Trump Victory

FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Gold bars and gold coins of different sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Gold bars and gold coins of different sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Gold prices slid more than 3% to a three-week low on Wednesday as investors piled into the US dollar after Republican Donald Trump was elected US president.

Market participants were also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on Thursday for further clues on the bank's easing cycle that had helped gold's stunning rally to successive record highs this year.

Spot gold slipped 2.9% to $2,662.99 per ounce, as of 10:10 a.m. ET (1510 GMT), after hitting a three-week low of $2,652.19. The metal was on track to post its biggest daily loss in five months, Reuters reported.

US gold futures shed 3% to $2,668.2.

"A clear presidential victory when the market has been pricing in a contested result, removal of an element of risk, Trump-trades include the dollar's strengthening this morning and the combination of the two has brought gold lower," said StoneX analyst Rhona O'Connell.

Donald Trump recaptured the White House by securing more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, Edison Research projected.

Investors believe Trump's presidency will bolster the dollar, causing the Federal Reserve pause in its easing cycle if inflation takes off after expected new tariffs.

The dollar index hit a four-month high, making bullion more expensive for overseas buyers.

"Gold will be torn between the risk of rising inflation, potentially slowing the pace of US rate cuts, as tariffs are rolled out," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

"The FOMC will likely still cut on Thursday but the subsequent language will be studied closely for signs of a pause."

Investors widely expect the Fed to announce a quarter-point rate cut after 50 bps reduction in September.

Commodities from oil and gas to metals and grains dropped as the dollar rallied.

Spot silver fell 4.9% to $31.03 per ounce. Platinum shed 2.8% to $971.7 and palladium was down 3.7% to $1,035.5. All three metals hit their lowest levels in three-weeks.