RIYADH, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia on Thursday broke ground on the Hexagon Data Center in Riyadh, a facility officials say will be the world's largest government-owned data center by megawatt capacity, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The facility is slated to have a capacity of 480 megawatts and will cover more than 2.8 million square meters. To be operated by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the project is designed to provide "maximum availability" for the kingdom's rapidly expanding suite of electronic government platforms and digital services, according to the SPA.
SDAIA president Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi said at the ceremony that the authority is focused on building an "integrated digital ecosystem."
He framed the project as a cornerstone of national competitiveness, intended to cultivate domestic expertise in AI and lure international tech investment, adding that this aligns with Saudi Vision 2030's objectives of "building a sustainable knowledge-based economy and achieving global leadership in advanced technologies." ■
