The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by special guests of honour, His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, United Arab Emirates and Meghan Gregonis, United States Consul General in Dubai
Equinix, Inc., the world’s digital infrastructure company®, has announced the opening of its third International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center in Dubai, creating the company’s largest and most interconnected data center in the Middle East.
To celebrate the opening of the new center, which will be known as DX3, Equinix hosted an event attended by His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications, United Arab Emirates, Meghan Gregonis, United States Consul General in Dubai, and Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO at du, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC).
Equinix’s digital infrastructure enables local businesses to leverage the growth opportunities and supports global organizations seeking access to the UAE’s expanding digital economy, with Artificial Intelligence (AI)I quickly becoming a key focus for organisations in the MENA region.
Equinix’s global survey of 2,900 IT decision-makers confirmed AI uptake is on the rise across all industry sectors, with 85% of respondents worldwide seeking to benefit from the advantages of AI and already using or planning to use it across multiple key functions. The survey also showed that more than three out of four IT leaders surveyed in the UAE (77%) confirm that their existing IT infrastructure is prepared for the demands of artificial intelligence technology, as the country experiences widespread adoption of AI across industries. The UAE scores higher than other countries in preparedness to accommodate AI, where only 58% of global and 51% of EMEA IT leaders believing their infrastructure is prepared for AI.
“Technology industry leaders both in the Middle East and worldwide are accelerating the integration of AI within their organizations. It is progressively evolving into a vital capability for empowering intelligent and autonomous systems that drive modern businesses. Those who do not fully harness its potential risk falling behind, so Equinix is here to support their ambitions with the opening of our new DX3 IBX® Data center,” said Kamel Al-Tawil, Managing Director, Equinix MENA.
Equinix’s new data center also boasts the largest and strongest ecosystems of digital leaders in the region, including networks, cloud, content distributions, enterprise and financial services, and will be strategically located at the intersection of the world’s most dynamic markets in Dubai Production City. Home to thriving, diverse business ecosystems, Dubai is committed to becoming one of the world’s top five centers for trade, logistics, finance and tourism and has made itself one of the world’s preferred investment destinations for foreign capital.
Equinix will invest over $100M in the new data center when fully built out, to create the company’s largest and most interconnected data center in the Middle East.
“At Equinix, we’ve formulated our AI strategy to empower our clients to harness the vast potential of artificial intelligence. By utilizing its predictive and analytical capabilities, we aim to fuel innovation, elevate user experiences, and streamline operations. With the rising wave of AI-driven innovation in the UAE, we are excellently positioned to provide local businesses with the essential digital infrastructure,” added Al-Tawil.
The Dubai campus, comprising DX3 and DX1 data centers, is the UAE’s regional connectivity hub. DX3 has been designed with a focus on innovation, which allows efficient power consumption with cutting-edge technologies in cooling, redundancy and scalability. DX3 is planned to be covered by 100% renewable energy.
The new center—which will be known as DX3—will provide 1,800 cabinets of capacity across two phases or a total footprint of 12,000 square meters (135,000 square feet), making it Equinix’s largest data center in the region. With an investment of over $60M in the first phase, the building of this new facility reinforces Equinix’s commitment to creating and supporting digital opportunities for Dubai and the Middle East.