Equinix has launched its third data centre in Dubai, with an investment of more than $60 million. Once fully constructed, it will be the largest Equinix data centre in the Middle East.
Named DX3, the data centre will host 900 racks in its first phase. An additional phase will increase to a capacity of 1,800 racks and cover a total footprint of 135,000 square feet. Overall, Equinix will invest more than $100 million across the two phases.
“DX3 is poised to facilitate connectivity and accelerate digitalisation across the region, and we will continue to play a role in enabling the country to achieve its digital potential and provide organisations in the Middle East,” said Kamel Al-Tawil, the Managing Director for Equinix MENA.
The new data centre is expected to be covered by 100% renewable energy.
“Equinix is committed to building a more sustainable digital future for all,” added Al-Tawil.
The decision to build a third data centre in Dubai was because Equinix had ‘run out of capacity’ at its existing DX1 and DX2 data centres, which are located in Dubai Production City. DX1 provides 5.6MW of capacity across 40,906 square feet, while DX2 offers 4.8MW of capacity across 44,078 square feet.
According to market research by RationalStat, the Middle East & North Africa data centre market value is expected to reach $10.4 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 20.4% from 2022 to 2028. The Middle East data center construction market is also forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.59% between 2022 and 2028. The UAE is a significant contributor to this growth, as the country strives to double the contribution of the digital economy to its GDP by 2032.
With the addition of DX3, Equinix will have six data centres in the Middle East, with facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Oman.
