du DataCenter Kizad Abu Dhabi: Leasable Hyperscale & Enterprise Colocation Hub
Status: Fully Operational Enterprise & Leasable Colocation Facility | Location: 36CV+4C7 - Al Barsha South Second - Al Barsha South - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Project Overview
du DataCenter KIZAD is du's inaugural commercial leasable IT space data center, strategically positioned within the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), one of the UAE's fastest-growing industrial and logistics hubs. Located along the strategic Abu Dhabi–Dubai highway corridor, the facility provides excellent regional connectivity and serves as a vital digital infrastructure asset supporting enterprises, cloud providers, government organizations, and mission-critical workloads across the Emirates. Spanning approximately 7,930 m² and delivering an ultimate IT capacity of 3.0 MW, the Uptime Institute Tier III certified facility has been purpose-built with a robust pre-cast reinforced concrete structure designed to provide exceptional physical security, structural resilience, and long-term operational reliability. The data center accommodates 192 enterprise-grade racks with an average power density of 5.0 kW per cabinet, making it suitable for a broad range of traditional enterprise applications, private cloud deployments, virtualization environments, disaster recovery platforms, and business-critical IT systems. Designed with Tier III standards, the facility incorporates concurrently maintainable electrical and mechanical infrastructure, enabling planned maintenance activities without disrupting customer operations while ensuring high service availability. Multiple layers of physical security, environmental monitoring, fire detection and suppression systems, precision cooling infrastructure, and resilient backup power systems contribute to continuous operations under demanding conditions. As an integral component of du's nationwide digital ecosystem, the KIZAD facility offers carrier-grade colocation, managed hosting, disaster recovery services, and direct connectivity to du's high-capacity optical fiber backbone, enabling secure, ultra-low-latency interconnection between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other key regional markets. Its strategic location within KIZAD also makes it an attractive platform for manufacturing, logistics, industrial, and multinational enterprises seeking reliable digital infrastructure close to major transportation, trade, and economic corridors while supporting the UAE's ongoing digital transformation initiatives.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | du DataCenter Kizad Abu Dhabi: Leasable Hyperscale & Enterprise Colocation Hub |
| Location | 36CV+4C7 - Al Barsha South Second - Al Barsha South - Dubai - United Arab Emirates |
| Status | Fully Operational Enterprise & Leasable Colocation Facility |
| Commissioning | Operational (Completed 2020) |
| Total IT Load | 3.0 MW Ultimate IT Load (1.0 MW Initial Phase 1 / Scalable to 2.0 MW & 3.0 MW) |
| Total Capacity | 7,930 m² (~85,358 sq ft) gross built-up area footprint |
| Tier Level | Uptime Institute Tier III Certified Design & Constructed Facility (TCCF) |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Commercial Carrier-Neutral Colocation, Hybrid Cloud & Enterprise IT Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Abu Dhabi |
| Population | ~1.6 Million (City) |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~3.8 Million (Emirate) |
| City GDP | ~$310 Billion USD (Emirate) |
| Per Capita Income | ~$82,000 USD |
| City Tier | Tier 1 Global Hub |
| Key Strengths | Nuclear Power, Sovereign Funding, Strategic Neutrality |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | du DataCenter |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | AD Ports Group (KIZAD Authorities) / Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) / Syska Hennessy Group (Consultant) |
| Construction Contractor | Group AMANA (EPC Main Contractor) / MDS - Site & Power |
| MEP Engineering | Syska Hennessy Group / du In-House Engineering & Operations Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Carrier-neutral facility featuring dual path-diverse subterranean fiber entrance vaults, redundant Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs), direct interconnects to du's core fiber network across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and low-latency peering to UAE-IX. |
| Power Infrastructure | Substation grid utility feeds, static 2N / N+1 uninterruptible power supply (UPS) configurations, automated switchgear, and multi-megawatt standby emergency backup diesel generator arrays with multi-day on-site fuel autonomy. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
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| Power Capacity | 3.0 MW Total Secured IT Load (192 Racks at 5.0 kW/rack average density) |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N / N+1 Block Redundant Static UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | High-efficiency CRAC/CRAH precision cooling units, hot/cold aisle containment systems, air-side economizers, and automated BMS environmental controls. |
| Connectivity | Private optical dark fiber ring connecting KIZAD directly to du's primary telecom hubs in Dubai (Dubai Silicon Oasis, IMPZ) and Abu Dhabi, offering direct cloud connectivity and cross-connects. |
| PUE Target | < 1.35 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | Grid utility power integrated with UAE national clean energy transition initiatives and solar integration options. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | 2018–2019 |
| Construction Start | 2019 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Operational (2020) |
| Full Buildout | Operational Active Facility |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
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| Total Investment | Estimated $40,000,000 USD to $55,000,000 USD Facility Capital Expenditure |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company - du) |