center3 Dammam Cloud Data Center Campus: 20MW Hyperscale & Cloud Hub in Saudi Arabia
Status: Fully Operational / Active Phased Expansion | Location: Dammam Industrial City, Dammam, Eastern Province 31411, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Project Overview
center3’s Dammam Cloud Campus is a strategic hyperscale digital infrastructure facility located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, serving as one of the Kingdom’s key cloud and connectivity gateways. Strategically positioned along the Arabian Gulf, the campus delivers approximately 19.5 MW of utility power across 24,000 square metres of purpose-built infrastructure and eight modern data halls, providing scalable capacity for hyperscale cloud providers, telecommunications operators, government organizations, financial institutions, and large enterprises. The facility is engineered to support cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high-performance computing (HPC), and other high-density digital workloads, including deployments for global cloud providers such as Microsoft and regional cloud platforms. Built with resilient power, advanced cooling systems, and high-availability network infrastructure, the campus enables reliable operation of mission-critical applications while supporting future expansion as demand for AI and cloud services continues to grow. A major advantage of the facility is its extensive international connectivity through stc Group’s subsea cable ecosystem, including strategic systems such as 2Africa and SEA-ME-WE 6 (SMW6), providing low-latency routes between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Asia, Europe, and Africa. The campus also offers direct connectivity to IX.SA, Saudi Arabia’s national internet exchange, enabling efficient domestic traffic exchange and seamless access to regional and global cloud ecosystems. Combining hyperscale-ready infrastructure, strategic subsea connectivity, resilient operations, and alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, center3’s Dammam Cloud Campus provides a future-ready digital infrastructure platform supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation, AI innovation, and cloud economy.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | center3 Dammam Cloud Data Center Campus: 20MW Hyperscale & Cloud Hub in Saudi Arabia |
| Location | Dammam Industrial City, Dammam, Eastern Province 31411, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Status | Fully Operational / Active Phased Expansion |
| Commissioning | Phase 1 Go-Live: Q4 2023–2024 / Ongoing Multi-Phase Expansion (2025–2027+) |
| Total IT Load | ~19.5 MW – 25+ MW Critical IT Power Allocation |
| Total Capacity | 19.5 MW Total Capacity across 24,000 m² (~258,300 sq ft) gross footprint (8 Data Halls / 1,200 Racks) |
| Tier Level | Tier III Certified (Uptime Institute TCDD & TCCF Certified) / ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI-DSS |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Hyperscale, High-Density AI/Cloud Gateway & Subsea Cable Landing Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
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| City Name | Dammam |
| Population | ~1.3 Million (City Proper, 2024 Est.) |
| Urban Agglomeration | 4.7 Million (Dammam Metropolitan Area, 2024 Est.) |
| City GDP | $78 billion |
| Per Capita Income | $23,352 (87,570 SAR) |
| City Tier | Tier 1 / Primary Regional Hub |
| Key Strengths | Strategic gateway location, Proximity to major oil & gas/industrial centres, Access to subsea cable landing points, Strong government support for digital transformation (Saudi Vision 2030). |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
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| Developer / Operator | center3 |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), stc Group, and Hyperscale Partners (Microsoft) |
| Construction Contractor | Specialized Saudi & Middle Eastern Mission-Critical EPC Partners |
| MEP Engineering | center3 & stc In-House Global Technical Infrastructure & Critical Facilities Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Carrier-neutral host with dual path-diverse underground fiber entrance vaults; redundant Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs); direct integration with stc terrestrial dark fiber backhaul, local landing stations for major regional subsea cables, and IX.SA (Saudi Internet Exchange). |
| Power Infrastructure | Dual high-voltage grid incomers supplied by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), static distributed 2N uninterruptible power supply (UPS) modules, automated switchgear, and standby generator plants with multi-day on-site fuel autonomy. |
Technical Specifications
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| Power Capacity | 19.5 MW – 25+ MW Secured Utility Power Allocation |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N Redundant Static UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | High-efficiency chilled-water/CRAC precision cooling plant with N+2 thermal redundancy, hot/cold aisle containment, Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DLC) readiness for high-density GPU racks, and automated BMS environmental controls. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral access offering direct low-latency cloud express on-ramps and regional cross-connect options across the Middle East and global corridors. |
| PUE Target | < 1.30 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | High-efficiency utility power integrated with Saudi Arabia's national grid decarbonization initiatives and renewable energy certificates (RECs). |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
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| Announcement | Q4 2022 / Expansion Phase 2024–2025 |
| Construction Start | 2022 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Operational (Late 2023 / 2024) |
| Full Buildout | Operational Active Campus Expansion |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
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| Total Investment | Part of center3's multi-billion dollar Middle East infrastructure capital expansion plan |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure & Infrastructure Financing by center3 / stc Group |