Samer Choucair: The Data Explosion Is Fueling Billion-Dollar Digital Infrastructure Investment in Saudi Arabia and Egypt
Entrepreneur Samer Choucair said the volume of data created and consumed worldwide has surpassed 400 million terabytes per day, reaching approximately 403 million terabytes.
He explained that this milestone represents a turning point for the global digital economy and is driving a new wave of large-scale investment in data centers and supporting digital infrastructure.
Choucair noted that the rapid growth in data volumes, driven by images, videos, artificial intelligence applications, and cloud computing, has increased demand for storage, processing capacity, and energy.
This has transformed a major technological challenge into one of the most significant investment opportunities available to financial institutions and sovereign wealth funds.
Samer Choucair added that this trend is encouraging institutional investors to redirect capital toward digital infrastructure assets characterized by long-term demand and relatively stable returns.
He emphasized that the Middle East is well positioned to benefit from this investment cycle because of supportive government initiatives and its strategic geographical location.
The digital economy is driving a new investment cycle
Samer Choucair explained that the global economy has entered a phase in which digital infrastructure has become one of the most important drivers of growth, as daily data volumes increasingly exceed the capabilities of conventional storage and processing systems.
Choucair noted that this reality is encouraging governments and international companies to accelerate the construction of hyperscale data centers while investing in the telecommunications networks and energy infrastructure required to operate them.
He added that institutional investors are gradually shifting a greater share of their capital from traditional consumer sectors toward fixed digital infrastructure assets.
These assets provide the foundations of the digital economy and are supported by the continued expansion of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, both of which require steadily increasing storage and processing capacity.
Saudi Arabia leads regional data-center investment
Entrepreneur Samer Choucair emphasized that Saudi Arabia has established itself as one of the region’s leading destinations for digital investment, supported by the objectives of Vision 2030 and the programs of the Public Investment Fund.
Choucair explained that the fund announced a $6 billion investment plan to develop an advanced data-center ecosystem as part of broader efforts to strengthen the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure.
He added that PIF-backed HUMAIN is seeking to raise SAR 20 billion to develop data centers with an initial capacity of two gigawatts near Riyadh, with plans to expand total capacity to six gigawatts by 2034.
Samer Choucair noted that Saudi Arabia’s data-center market is projected to achieve average annual growth of approximately 29% through 2030, supported by the expansion of cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
He explained that partnerships with international companies such as DigitalBridge provide more than capital. They also support technology transfer and the development of local expertise, strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional center for global cloud-service providers.
Egypt benefits from the digital transformation
Samer Choucair noted that Egypt’s data-center market is experiencing rapid growth, with its value expected to increase from approximately $242 million in 2025 to more than $500 million by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of around 8.17%.
He explained that this expansion is supported by several factors, including Egypt’s Information and Communications Technology 2030 strategy, the Personal Data Protection Law encouraging greater data localization, and the country’s strategic position as a major hub for international submarine cables.
Choucair added that Egypt has attracted significant investment from companies such as Khazna Data Centers and Gulf Data Hub, which are developing large data-center campuses with capacities potentially reaching hundreds of megawatts.
These projects create promising opportunities for investors seeking emerging markets that combine growing demand with competitive operating costs.
Samer Choucair’s perspective
Entrepreneur Samer Choucair emphasized that investment in data centers represents a structural transformation in institutional capital-allocation strategies.
Investment portfolios are gradually moving toward assets that support the long-term development of the digital economy and artificial intelligence.
Choucair added that Saudi Arabia possesses a competitive advantage through the sovereign support provided by the Public Investment Fund, which helps reduce investment risks and attract international partners.
Egypt, by comparison, benefits from lower operating costs and a strategic location that positions it as a potential regional hub serving North Africa and the Middle East.
Samer Choucair stressed that the success of these investments will require disciplined risk management, particularly regarding access to sustainable electricity and efficient cooling technologies in hot climates.
He emphasized that greater integration between data centers and renewable energy will become essential to improving operational efficiency and achieving long-term environmental sustainability.
The strategic outlook
Concluding his remarks, Samer Choucair said institutional investors will increasingly monitor data-center capacity expansion, announcements from global cloud-service providers, and the development of regulatory frameworks supporting foreign investment in the digital sector.
He added that, over the next three to five years, data centers are expected to become an increasingly important driver of economic diversification across Gulf countries and Egypt, provided that environmental sustainability and operational-efficiency challenges are addressed effectively.
Entrepreneur Samer Choucair emphasized that continued investment and stronger international partnerships could transform the Middle East into one of the world’s leading centers for data and artificial intelligence during the next decade.
He concluded that this development would create substantial opportunities for investors seeking exposure to sustainable, long-term growth across digital infrastructure, energy, cloud computing, and advanced technology.