ICS Arabia, a leading Saudi design-build-operate data center company, has officially announced the commencement of construction on the Desert Dragon Data Centers, boasting a total capacity of 187 megawatts (MW). This ambitious project is the result of a joint venture between ICS Arabia and Shanghai-based Lumaotong Group (LMT) 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 187 megawatts (MW) Tier III and IV data centers and secured land in MODON. Rack capacity ranges from 2 kW to 100 kW for conventional racks and immersive cooling technologies. Desert Dragon Data Centers will be available to global customers, offering services from cloud hosting to artificial intelligence.
The first Tier III 65 MW data center is expected to be launched in Riyadh and operational in March 2026. The second phase, a 50 MW data center, will start construction in Jeddah in February 2025, with operations commencing in the fourth quarter of 2026. Subsequently, the third phase will encompass 72 MW, with construction beginning in September 2025 in the Dammam and NEOM. The joint venture will invest a total of $1.90 billion in the Kingdom over three years. CMI will collaborate with ICS Arabia in the design, construction, and operation of the green, intelligent, and multi-integration data centers.
General Abdullah A. AlMazny (Retd.), Managing Director of ICS Arabia, stated, “This groundbreaking project represents a significant step forward in Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure. It aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals and bolsters the Kingdom as a regional leader in technology and innovation. This cluster of data centers will offer integrated solutions, including cloud hosting, cyber solutions, and AI technology hosting, to support the digital economy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and big data.”
Ms. Bonnie Chen, Managing Director of CMI Saudi Arabia, highlighted, “With the highly secure and robust Tier III and Tier IV uptime-certified data centers, CMI is poised to deliver enhanced international connectivity services to our customers in the region. This initiative will expand our global footprint and strengthen interconnectivity across the Middle East, supporting the overall growth of the global digital economy.”
Mr. Zhan Lujin, Chairman of LMT Group, commented, “LMT plans to bring many more emerging industry sectors to Saudi Arabia, including new energy, new materials, cross-border e-commerce, and bulk trade trading platforms. The Desert Dragon Data Center will meet the information and data service needs of these industries. It will also promote greater cooperation on the digital frontier and support the region’s Belt and Road Initiative projects.”
