How data centres could help the Gulf meet its climate targets
Exploiting flexibility in operation time
Published in The National
Data centres that power the Gulf region’s burgeoning cloud and AI systems are accounting for an ever-increasing proportion of electricity consumption. If managed well, this nominal increase in the need for power generation can be transformed into a tool for the greater use of renewable energy, helping the GCC countries to realise their ambitious climate goals.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries are aggressively investing in AI as they seek to maintain their competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global economy. One of the key issues that policymakers must grapple with is how to supply AI infrastructure with the power it needs to operate. Despite the recency of these novel technologies, they already account for almost 2 per cent of global electricity consumption; this figure is set to grow exponentially over the coming decades as AI is integrated into every walk of life.