Saudi Arabia Breaks Ground on 'Hexagon,' a 30 Million Sq Ft Government Data Center

Saudi Arabia Breaks Ground on 'Hexagon,' a 30 Million Sq Ft Government Data Center January 2, 2026 Saudi Arabia has commenced construction on one of the world's largest government-dedicated data center complexes, marking a significant milestone in its ambitious digital transformation agenda under the Vision 2030 framework. The project underscores the Kingdom's strategic pivot from an oil-based economy to a future powered by data and artificial intelligence, aiming to establish itself as a leading hub for digital infrastructure in the Middle East. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) held a groundbreaking ceremony on January 1, 2026, for its flagship "Hexagon" data center in Riyadh. The facility, named for its distinctive two-concentric-hexagon architectural design, is set to become a cornerstone of the nation's digital sovereignty. Upon completion, the complex will span a vast 30 million square feet (approximately 2.78 million square meters) and will be powered by a substantial 480-megawatt capacity, designed to meet the stringent requirements for Tier IV certification from the Uptime Institute. The Hexagon data center is engineered to host more than 290 critical government systems and has been designed with green building principles in mind. In a statement shared via LinkedIn, SDAIA framed the project as a national achievement, stating, "As part of our pride in this national project... The largest government center in the world. With a capacity of 480MW, we can all contribute to achieving #2030." During the ceremony, SDAIA President Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi emphasized the facility's strategic role, saying, “The Hexagon data center will be a qualitative strategic boost toward making the Kingdom a global center for data, ensuring data sovereignty and security, and enabling innovation and a digital economy." This massive development is a key component of a broader data center construction boom within Saudi Arabia. The nation is rapidly emerging as a major market, with recent announcements including a 500MW facility involving xAI and Humain, a 1GW development partnership between Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Humain, and a separate 1GW expansion pipeline detailed by Khazna Data Centers. The Hexagon project, by centralizing and securing government digital assets, is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI and cloud services across the public sector, providing a foundational platform for the nation's economic diversification goals and solidifying Riyadh's position as a growing force in the global digital infrastructure landscape. Source: datacenterdynamics