OMAN-based Mubbadrah Investment has announced that a consortium led by the group – comprising local and international companies – is set to develop a $3 billion artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in the sultanate, which, on completion, will have a planned capacity of up to 400 MW.
The project, designed to serve hyperscale computing operators, will be developed alongside Sustopia Capital, Vela Tech and O2 Global Energy, with scope for future expansion.
The project announcement came last month (October) during the state visit of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the UK, reflecting broader economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.
The planned campus will support large-scale AI training and inference workloads, combining local and international expertise with global investment, technology and development capabilities, said senior officials at the signing ceremony held in London which was attended by Nasser bin Khamis Al Jashmi, Chairman of the Oman Tax Authority, UK Ambassador to Oman Liane Saunders and representatives of the UK trade office.
Sustopia Capital, an independent boutique enabling sustainable growth, and Vela Tech, a key engineering, construction, real estate and infrastructure platform are developing, designing and constructing about 20GW of AI data centre capacity globally.
The US’ Crusoe Crusoe Energy Systems has expressed interest in becoming a potential off-taker for the project’s data centre capacity. The consortium expects to sign a confirmation of that interest shortly.
Mubbadrah Investment said the facility will draw power from the national grid and renewable energy sources. O2 Global Energy will develop 400 MW of solar generation capacity, supported by battery storage, to provide additional clean energy for the campus.
Announcing the big move, CEO Yasser Albarami said: “As an Omani investment group with a portfolio of more than 20 companies across oil and gas, hospitality, healthcare and other sectors, Mubbadrah Investment is proud to lead this consortium of Omani and international companies.”
“Oman has the stability, the strategic location and the energy resources to become a regional home for AI infrastructure, and we are delighted to bring together partners with the capital, technology and experience to make that happen, creating lasting value and opportunities for Oman and its people,” he added.