As its Megacities Expand, Saudi Arabia Invests Heavily in AI

Saudi Arabia is certainly not short on ambition. Amid its numerous ongoing projects, the kingdom has signed an agreement with data center company DataVolt to establish what it claims to be the region’s first “truly sustainable” AI hub.

Set to be operational by 2028, the AI facility is planned for Neom’s Oxagon district—a massive, partially floating industrial port city designed to drive Saudi Arabia’s transition from an oil-dependent economy to a hub for tourism and innovation. The district will also feature a desalination plant, a green hydrogen facility, and an oceanographic research center.

Ambitious Plans for a 1.5-Gigawatt Renewable-Powered Data Center

Details on the 1.5-gigawatt data center remain scarce at this early stage, but what is known is that the initial investment is set at $5 billion, with plans for the facility to operate on renewable energy sources like wind and solar. However, given the massive energy demands involved and the lack of specifics, these claims should be met with some skepticism for now.

According to the press release, “As part of the agreement, Oxagon will lease DataVolt the land for the development of the facility and provide the sustainable data center operator with infrastructure support. The ambition is for the facility to be entirely powered by renewable energy, providing a fully integrated, end-to-end data center solution. The project will utilize advanced cooling technologies and is designed to operate at net zero, addressing the global challenges of power availability and the carbon footprint posed by data centers.”

As part of its broader goal to become a regional “digital powerhouse,” Saudi authorities have previously highlighted plans to use artificial intelligence to monitor nearly every aspect of daily life within its futuristic megacity, The Line.

AI-Powered Infrastructure for a Megacity

While the concept may seem dystopian, the government aims to have 300,000 residents in The Line by 2030, with a long-term goal of reaching 9 million. Managing essential services like water supply, power consumption, and waste disposal on such a scale presents a significant logistical challenge. Utilizing AI and advanced monitoring technologies to automate city management is a practical solution to this complexity.

For now, that’s about all the available information, but this remains a monumental project in architecture, engineering, and technology, with many massive components still coming together. The Sindalah island resort is already complete, but there are still stunning hotels, skyscrapers, bridges, marinas, and more on the horizon. We’ll keep you updated as things progress.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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