Page 51 - SAMENA Trends - February 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Preparation Underway for Libyan-Tunisian-Algerian Conference on Digital

and Economic Transformation

The Head of the Libyan-Tunisian-Algerian
conference towards digital and free
economic transformation in Africa, Yassin
Abu Sreweel, said that the conference
aims to promote the culture of the digital
economy in light of the African countries’
dependence on traditional economic
methods. In a press conference at the
headquarters of the Investment Promotion
and Privatization Affairs Authority in Tripoli,
Abu Sreweel added that the conference
program aims to hold working sessions
between the participating countries to
exchange experiences in a way that
develops a culture of the digital economy.
He pointed out that there is an urgent
need at the present time for economic Chairman of the Preparatory Committee digital and free economic transformation
transformation, amid expectations of for the Conference, Abdelsamie Amer, in Africa will hold its first session on
a decline in global oil prices, with the confirmed that the conference comes March 01, in the Tunisian capital, with
continued weakness of African countries as a continuation of the Mediterranean the support of the Investment Promotion
in managing economies through methods Conference that was held in November and Privatization Affairs Authority, the
of diversification between the public last year. It is noteworthy that the Libyan- Financial Facility Fund and the National
and private sectors. Meanwhile, the Tunisian-Algerian conference towards Planning Council.

QST Signs Data Center Agreement with Saudi’s MCIT

Quantum Switch Tamasuk (QST), a Saudi company specializing 300MW by 2026. QST says its data centers will be designed and
in the design, build, financing and operation of data centers, has built to meet the demands of hyperscale cloud service providers,
signed a key business principle agreement with the kingdom’s international gaming and media platforms and global content
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) delivery networks, with a view to attracting them to locate their
to develop and operate new data centers with a total capacity of main regional hubs in the kingdom. In addition, the data centers
will host government digital infrastructure development initiatives,
including the Saudi Internet Exchange Point scheme. They will
also be centers for co-location of Saudi Arabian government
workloads. It is expected that preferential rates for Saudi Arabian-
owned start-ups will benefit from hosting and colocation services
at the new sites – further stimulating innovation in the kingdom’s
digital economy. QST has committed to at least one third of these
new roles being filled by Saudi Arabian nationals and will create
dedicated training and skills development plans. Local contractors
and suppliers will be used for construction wherever possible.
The new sites will feature the latest designs to minimize cooling
requirements. MCIT will work with QST to develop and secure
sources of renewable energy to further enhance sustainability.
Both parties are actively evaluating the feasibility of connecting
solar PV facilities to the data centers. QST already has significant
investments in the Kingdom; two data center campus facilities
are already under construction. As we mentioned last week,
activity in the data center sector seems to be ramping up in Saudi
Arabia, where QST is just one of a number of internal and external
investors that have announced big plans.

51 FEBRUARY 2022