Major UAE data centre firm Khazna doubles capacity
Wed 4 Oct 2017
Khazna Data Centres, the only dedicated commercial wholesale provider in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is doubling its capacity.
The expansion means existing facilities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will extend to 31,000 sq. metres, of which 7500 sq. metres will be IT whitespace. The plan is due to be complete by the end of 2019, and will deliver 24MW of IT load.
Khazna states that its dominant presence as the dedicated wholesale data centre provider in the region, as well as the fact that its data centres are carrier neutral, sets it in good stead for future investment.
This combination has earned the firm custom in a period of recent growth in the region, both locally and internationally. It notes that multinational companies are looking to establish themselves within the UAE.
Driving factors in this growth are data sovereignty and latency issues, and innovation strategies such as the ‘UAE Vision 2021’ mean the area is an attractive prospect for companies looking for relatively untapped regions.
Khazna CEO, Hassan Al Naqbi, commented: ‘The growth of Khazna demonstrates the confidence that organizations have in our data centre capabilities. Outsourcing data centre capabilities allows companies to focus on their core operations.
‘Our wholesale model provides our customers with the benefits of both renting and owning their data centre space. The expansion of our facilities is an indicator that our clients are looking towards long-term growth strategies in the region.’
The company states its commitment to energy efficiency and clean data centres, with its Abu Dhabi facility achieving a power usage effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.6, which Khazna states makes it 40% more energy efficient than the average data centre in the region.
Khazna, which is majority owned by Mubadala Investment Company, is one of the largest data centre infrastructure operators in the Middle East and North Africa. It expects this new development to serve international corporations from various industries.
The news follows AWS’s announcement that it will be opening data centres in the Middle East by 2019, as it creates a new region and increases its worldwide tally of points of presence.
