Khaberni - Saudi Arabia has achieved the second global position, after the United States, among the most attractive markets for data centers, with a Bloomberg analysis indicating that the availability of energy and land empowerment together constitute 58% of the market's attractiveness for data center projects, at a time when 22.8 gigawatts of new capacities being built globally are expected to enter service in the next three years, which enhances the value of markets capable of accommodating this growth at a rapid pace.
The capacity of Saudi data centers has increased from 68 megawatts in 2021 to 440 megawatts last year, a sixfold increase in four years, indicating an accelerated growth of digital infrastructure and the increasing attractiveness of the Saudi market in this vital sector.
In related context, Saudi Arabia now has more than 60 data centers spread across various regions, reflecting the expansion of the market, the growth of its operational structure, and its ability to meet the increasing demand for digital services, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence applications. This growth is enhanced by the Kingdom's geographical depth, which grants developers and operators higher flexibility in site distribution and phased expansion, along with its strategic location connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa, providing access to wide markets from a single hub.
The Saudi Press Agency "SPA" mentioned that the progress has an added dimension with the Kingdom leading the world in the Digital Readiness Index 2025, after scoring 94 out of 100 in the "very high" category, ahead of Finland, Germany, the UK, Norway, and France. This achievement reflects the maturity of the regulatory environment, digital governance, and the efficiency of institutional infrastructure, which are increasingly important elements in a sector reliant on clear regulatory frameworks, the reliability of the operating environment, and the speed of implementation.
This status is supported by an advanced digital system, including an internet penetration rate of 99%, fiber-optic networks reaching 5.8 million homes, and a technology market exceeding 199 billion riyals in 2025, alongside the growth of local internet traffic via the Saudi Internet Exchange to more than 2.462 terabits per second during the same year, which increases the readiness of the surrounding digital environment for data center projects and enhances their operational reliability.
Saudi Arabia laid the foundation for building the world's largest government data center classified as Tier IV on an area exceeding 30 million square feet in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a total capacity of about 480 megawatts, which strengthens the national economy and supports the Kingdom's position as a major player in the future of the global digital economy.
The Sadaya Hexagon data center is designed according to the highest international standards, providing the highest levels of security and operational readiness for government data centers, meeting the requirements of agencies with the growing dependence on electronic services, at a time when the center possesses the highest level of data center classification according to the Uptime Institute.
At the time, the Saudi Cabinet said that launching the world's largest project for a government data center named "Hexagon" in Riyadh; constitutes a qualitative strategic push to make the Kingdom a global hub in this field, ensuring the Kingdom's data sovereignty and security, and enabling innovation and the digital economy, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
It is worth mentioning that Saudi Arabia ranked fifth globally and first in the Arab world in terms of the growth of the artificial intelligence sector, according to the Global Artificial Intelligence Index. The Kingdom pays significant attention to artificial intelligence, which has steadily advanced it in various global indicators, reflecting the efficiency of its development plans and its ability to achieve high competitiveness internationally under the Vision 2030.
During the period of the Global Artificial Intelligence Index, a wide range of national initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority "SADAI"; enhanced the Kingdom's position in the index, through numerous projects and initiatives.
