#UAE #datacentres - Dubai-based DAMAC Group plans to lift its global data centre pipeline to 10 gigawatts by the end of 2027, from its current pipeline of about 6GW. Chairman Hussain Sajwani also told this week’s Bloomberg Invest Dubai 2026 conference that $9 billion of its $20 billion US programme had already been invested. DAMAC Digital, the group’s data centre arm, has sites in 14 countries and focuses on facilities of 100MW or more with liquid cooling. DAMAC plans new land purchases outside the US within the next 12 to 18 months.
SO WHAT? - DAMAC plans to add 4 gigawatts of planned capacity over about 13 months, the the face of 30 percent increases in costs and the possibility of costs increasing a further 20 to 30 percent. To-date, $9 billion of DAMAC’s $20 billion US investment target has been met. Land acquisition, access to power and the timescale for equipment deliveries will set the pace for the additional investment and build-out.
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DAMAC Group aims to grow its global data centre pipeline to 10 gigawatts by the end of 2027, up from around 6GW now. Chairman Hussain Sajwani revealed the target whilst speaking at Bloomberg Invest Dubai 2026, held on 12 November.
The current 6GW pipeline currently covers projects in 14 countries, run through the group’s data centre subsidiary DAMAC Digital. It breaks down as about 1GW in the US, 2.5GW in Europe and 2.5GW in Asia.
Expansion plans include Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Finland, Spain, Greece, Italy, Türkiye and the US. DAMAC is in serious talks over a large Australian site and is also looking at the UK.
DAMAC reaffirmed its $20 billion US data centre investment programme. About $9 billion is already invested, and further work will continue as suitable land and power become available.
The group is concentrating on large sites starting at around 100MW, relying mainly on liquid cooling for AI chips and high-density computing. Sajwani says liquid cooling can also improve water-use efficiency.
According to Sajwani, data centre development costs have risen about 30%, and they could climb a further 20% to 30%. The US and Europe are among the most costly markets. He calls supply-chain disruption and equipment delays the bigger challenge.
Sajwani expects the US to stay the largest data centre market, though power, land and environmental limits could push investment overseas. He wants practical fixes for energy and water concerns, not curbs on development.
The chairman views AI growth as a long-term transformation and he expects valuations to experience corrections in the coming years, but the timing and scale of those is hard to predict.
DAMAC’s investment portfolio includes Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, Databricks, ByteDance, Together AI and Reflection AI, plus about 100 US funds. He says his Anthropic stake, bought under two years ago, has returned gains comparable to about three decades of earlier business.
ZOOM OUT - DAMAC first announced its US data centre plans in January 2025, when Chairman Hussain Sajwani appeared alongside President-elect Donald Trump to unveil a $20 billion investment by EDGNEX Data Centres (now DAMAC Digital). The US investment plan targeted 2GW over four years, with a first phase of 500MW building out across Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. At the time, DAMAC said that its level of investment could double if demand held. The company planned to fund the build-out with its own equity, bank debt and possible third-party capital. At the time, DAMAC Digital operated in 10 countries with more than 1GW of projected capacity worldwide.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Emirates News Agency, DAMAC, MEAIN
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