Saudi now building world's largest government data centre
Saudi Data and AI Authority breaks ground on 480 Megawatt Hexagon facility
#SaudiArabia #datacentres - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has laid the foundation stone for the Hexagon Data Centre, planned to be the world’s largest government data centre by capacity. The 480 megawatt (MW) facility, built on a 30 million square foot site in Riyadh, has been designed to meet Tier IV classification from the Uptime Institute, the highest global rating for data centre operations. The project aims to strengthen national data sovereignty, support the Kingdom’s digital transformation, and position Saudi Arabia as a leading hub for data and artificial intelligence technologies.
SO WHAT? - The new Hexagon Data Centre is another giant leap in the Saudi government’s digital transformation, providing sovereign infrastructure for the largest government data cloud in the Middle East. Beginning life in 2018, the Kingdom’s DEEM government cloud merges data from 193 government entities in line with with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s cloud-first policy. Hexagon will provide sovereign infrastructure to process government data domestically, paving the way for greater data transformation, AI usage and digital government services.
Here are some key points about the project:
On January 1st, 2026 the foundation stone was laid for the Saudi government’s Hexagon Data Centre, the world’s largest government data centre by megawatt capacity. Classified as Tier IV and holding the highest data center rating by the global Uptime Institute, the facility will have a total capacity of 480 MW and will be built on an area exceeding 30 million square feet in Riyadh.
The foundation stone ceremony was attended by the President of Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority SDAIA) Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi and other senior officials from various government entities. Riyadh-headquartered Albawani general contracting group has been appointed as the main contractor for the construction project.
Hexagon Data Centre will play a central role in reinforcing national data sovereignty by hosting and developing digital solutions domestically, supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation objectives.
The facilities will provide maximum availability, security, and operational readiness for government data centers. It will meet the growing needs of government entities and support the increasing reliance on electronic services.
The new sovereign data centre facility has been designed to meet the Tier IV classification from the Uptime Institute, the highest international rating for data centres, ensuring maximum availability, security and operational readiness with redundant systems and fault-tolerant infrastructure.
The new facility incorporates environmentally conscious design with innovative energy efficiency solutions, smart cooling systems and modern low-energy consumption computing technologies to reduce operational environmental impact. The centre has been designed to meet four international accreditations:
Tier IV (Uptime Institute) - The highest available rating in operational reliability with an availability of up to 99.995 percent.
TIA-942 (Telecommunications Industry Association) - the globally-recognised ANSI/TIA-942 standard for design and operations.
ISO/IEC 22237 (ISO) - a global certification for infrastructure protection.
LEED Gold - a global certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design of buildings.
The project is expected to create employment opportunities, support GDP growth and enhance government digital services whilst strengthening the Kingdom’s competitiveness in the global digital economy aligned with Vision 2030 goals.
ZOOM OUT - Saudi Arabia is now recognised as a global leader in government AI readiness, ranking first in the Middle East and North Africa region and seventh globally in the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index 2025. The Kingdom also secured top position for government strategy globally in Tortoise Media's 2024 Global AI Index. The assessments highlight strong performance in governance frameworks, infrastructure development and institutional preparedness for deploying artificial intelligence across public services, reflecting the effectiveness of national AI strategy implementation and digital transformation programmes.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]