The implementation of the $3bn AirTrunk data center campus in Saudi Arabia is advancing as the project prepares to receive bids. Commercial offers are to be received by 4 May for interested contractors to build the 250 MW campus. It is being developed by Australian firm AirTrunk. Furthermore, it is in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure company Humain. It is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Interested bidders include local-based El-Seif Engineering Contracting and Larsen & Toubro (local/India). It also includes:
- FCC / Alfanar Projects (Spain/local)
- Albawani / Orascom (local/Egypt)
- Nesma & Partners (local
- James L Williams (UAE)
- Alec (UAE)
In October last year, AirTrunk and Humain announced a $3bn partnership to build data centers in Saudi Arabia. The announcement marked AirTrunk’s first move into the region. The firms said they would, along with AirTrunk investor Blackstone, “develop a long-term strategic partnership focused on financing, developing and operating next-generation data centres and AI infrastructure across the kingdom”. Data centers across the world are taking shape with North America being ahead of the rest by a large margin. However continents such as Asia are making effort to catch up. Africa still lags behind and Europe is not where is was anticipated to be by now, with several reasons contributing to this.
Outlook on the AirTrunk Data Center Campus in Saudi Arabia
Humain signed a $1.2bn financing agreement with the state-backed National Infrastructure Fund to support projects such as the AirTrunk data center campus in Saudi Arabia. The signing was to support the expansion of AI and digital infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed in January on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The firm also noted the deal will support its plan to develop up to 250MW of hyperscalae AI data center capacity in the kingdom. According to a joint statement, the data centers will use graphics processing units for AI training and inference. Through this, the centers will serve Humain’s customers locally, regionally and globally. The National Infrastructure Fund and Humain will also explore launching an AI data center investment platform.
Moreover, the two organizations will act as anchor investors to enable local and international institutional investors to back the scale-up of Humain’s AI programme. The National Infrastructure Fund is Saudi Arabia’s lead development financing partner for infrastructure. However, it operates under the supervision of the National Development Fund.
Project Overview
- Project Name: AirTrunk Data Center Campus (Saudi Arabia)
- Project Type: Hyperscale AI data center campus
- Value: ~$3 billion
- Capacity: ~250 MW
- Purpose: AI training, inference, and cloud infrastructure
- Status: Pre-construction; bids being received
Key Stakeholders
- Developer: AirTrunk
- Partner: Humain
- Owner (Humain): Public Investment Fund
- Investor: Blackstone
- Financier: National Infrastructure Fund Saudi Arabia
Location
Scope
- 250 MW hyperscale data center campus
- GPU-based infrastructure for AI workloads
- Multi-phase development for regional and global clients
Funding / Delivery Model
- Strategic partnership (AirTrunk + Humain + Blackstone)
- $1.2 billion financing support via National Infrastructure Fund
- Potential AI investment platform for institutional investors
Status
- Commercial bids due by 4 May
- Multiple contractors shortlisted
- Pre-construction procurement phase
Key Risks & Challenges
- Competitive bidding and contractor selection
- High energy and infrastructure requirements
- Coordination across financing and delivery partners
Strategic Significance
- Expands Saudi Arabia’s AI and digital infrastructure
- Marks AirTrunk’s entry into Middle East market
- Supports national strategy for technology and data growth
Bidders
- El-Seif Engineering Contracting
- Larsen & Toubro
- FCC / Alfanar Projects
- Albawani / Orascom
- Nesma & Partners
- James L Williams
- Alec
