Leading international construction consultancy has announced several new data centre contract wins in the Middle East region as more employees work remotely and companies demand greater IT efficiency as a result of Covid-19 outbreak. 

 

The total capital value of Linesight’s active data centre projects in the region has surged to over $500 million.

 

The announcement comes as a result of the unprecedented demand for computing capacity following a dramatic move to online working due to the Covid-19 pandemic, compounded by cloud computing technologies and the notable transition to online retail.

 

Industry experts predict the GCC data centre market revenues to hit over $2 billion by 2025 with a cumulative revenue opportunity for data centre power infrastructure providers of $1 billion during 2019-2025. 

 

According to data from Arizton Advisory & Intelligence, the GCC data centre market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 3% during the same  period, with companies including Etisalat, Khazna, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Khazna, Gulf Data Hub, and Datamount, the prominent investors.

 

Regional Director (Middle East) Ciaran McCormack said: "Globally, the data centre market has increased exponentially in recent months as a result of Covid-19 and the way the business world now interacts."

 

"Increased reliance on the internet due to stay-at-home measures, remote working, and social distancing have all contributed to an increase in market demand," he noted.

 

"Although the pandemic has undoubtedly highlighted the trend, the growth of the data centre market is something we have witnessed for several years. As such, this is an area of our business where we have placed heightened emphasis," said McCormack. 

 

"With an 84% repeat business rate within our network of Tier One clients, we have developed a reputation as the ‘go-to’ consultants for project and cost management of data centres in the Middle East and the rest of the world," he added.

 

According to him, government initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030, Dubai Vision 2021, and New Kuwait Vision 2035, are expected to be the driving forces behind DC growth in the MEA region. 

 

"This is compounded by the growth of cloud, big data, and IoT services, as well network upgrades to support 5G. Post Covid-19, we expect further demand for data centres as businesses in the Middle East adapt to a new working environment," he added. 

 

Since opening its Middle East regional office in Dubai in 2008, Linesight has completed data centre projects in the GCC with a capital value of over $1.5 billion, including providing cost management services on the first modular DC project in the region.

 

Linesight has a global reach, with staff in 22 offices around the world, including the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the US. It is currently working in more than 40 countries on project developments worth more than $31 billion globally and $7 billion in the GCC.-TradeArabia News Service