Shell PLC Forms Partnership with ICS Arabia for Immersion-Cooled Data Centers in Saudi Arabia

Shell PLC has partnered with ICS Arabia to construct two 10 MW immersion-cooled data centers in Riyadh and Jeddah, supporting Saudi Arabia's digital transformation and Vision 2030 goals. The data centers will use immersion cooling technology, which is more energy-efficient and suitable for high-density workloads like AI and machine learning. The project is expected to be completed by Q4 2026. The partnership represents a strategic investment in the growing demand for high-performance computing infrastructure and aligns with global trends towards energy efficiency and reduced carbon footprints.

Shell PLC has announced a strategic partnership with ICS Arabia to construct two 10 MW immersion-cooled data centers in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The project, slated for completion by Q4 2026, aims to support the kingdom's digital transformation and align with Vision 2030 goals [1].

The data centers will leverage immersion cooling technology, a more energy-efficient approach suitable for high-density workloads such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. This partnership underscores Shell's commitment to investing in high-performance computing infrastructure, a growing demand in the region [2].

ICS Arabia, a leading engineering and technology company in Saudi Arabia, will design and construct the facilities. The company's subsidiary, Desert Dragon, will utilize Tier III certified infrastructure and immersion cooling technology to support high-density workloads [3]. XDS, a UK and Dubai-based company specializing in liquid immersion digital infrastructure, will operate the facilities for 15 years [1].

The project is part of a broader trend towards more sustainable and energy-efficient data center solutions. According to a recent market report, the global data center cooling market is expected to grow from USD 12.7 billion in 2023 to USD 29.6 billion by 2030, driven by increasing demand for data storage and processing, as well as environmental regulations [3].

This partnership represents a significant milestone for both Shell PLC and ICS Arabia, contributing to Saudi Arabia's digital infrastructure and sovereign data capabilities. The data centers will support national cloud initiatives, AI growth, and enterprise workloads requiring scalable, low-latency compute infrastructure.

References:
[1] https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ics-arabia-and-dubais-xds-to-deliver-immersion-cooled-data-centers-in-saudi-arabia/
[2] https://acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/100852/xds-datacentres-and-ics-arabia-partner-to-launch-landmark-10mw-immersion-cooled-data-center-in-ksa
[3] https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/data-center-cooling-solutions-market-1038.html