Gulf Data Hub (GDH), one of the largest independent data center platforms in the Middle East focused on serving hyperscale demand across the Gulf countries, and KKR, a leading global investment firm, announced that funds affiliated with KKR will acquire a stake in GDH. The investment, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is being made through KKR’s Global Infrastructure strategy.
Established in 2012 and headquartered in Dubai, GDH, is one of the largest independent carrier and vendor neutral data center platforms in the Middle East with significant operating capacity and pipeline of projects. With an owned portfolio of seven purpose-built and state-of-the art data centers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and additional facilities planned in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, GDH is focused on delivering the infrastructure required to meet hyperscale demand across the region to support increasing data consumption driven by the growing trends in digital connectivity, cloud and artificial intelligence.
The transaction marks one of the largest international investments into a UAE-founded and managed business in a fast-growing sector that benefits from high demand and major competitive advantages, reaffirming the UAE’s leadership in accelerating digital and AI capabilities. Upon completion, KKR and GDH have committed to support over $5 billion of total investment to grow GDHs’ market leading position and to support its international growth plans through organic and inorganic strategies.
GDH has successfully built on its first mover advantage and leveraged its scalable platform and large powered landbank to create a sizeable pipeline of assets. The Company’s proven track record of data centre buildouts, reliable delivery of availability, performance, security and support for hyperscale customers, and successful operation of secure data centers which have been built to ensure continuous operation, have consolidated its position as a standout business in a rapidly growing sector.
KKR has had a presence in the Middle East for over 15 years, with offices in Dubai and Riyadh. Prior investments in the region include the strategic partnership with ADNOC to create ADNOC Oil Pipelines, which marked the first midstream infrastructure collaboration between a leading global institutional investor and a national oil company in the Middle East. KKR also acquired a portfolio of commercial aircraft from Etihad Airways in 2020 through aircraft leasing investment platform Altitude Aircraft Leasing, which was established by KKR’s credit and infrastructure funds in 2018 to acquire aircraft serviced by Altavair.
KKR first established its global infrastructure team and strategy in 2008 and has since been one of the most active infrastructure investors around the world with $77 billion in infrastructure assets under management as of September 30, 2024. To date, KKR has invested more than $29 billion across 22 investments in relevant digital infrastructure companies across data centers and fiber, as well as $15 billion in power, utilities, and energy.
KKR’s significant global data center footprint spans four platforms with several GW of deployed assets across over 100 facilities and more under development globally. These platforms include US-based global data center infrastructure provider CyrusOne, Singapore-based data center operators STT GDC and Nxera, and UK-based hyperscale data center developer, owner, and operator GTR. KKR’s portfolio also includes over 10 renewable energy developers with over 50 GW of global development pipeline.
Advancements in AI are fueling an unprecedented demand for data centers, but a limited availability of reliable power is impeding the strategic goals of the world’s largest technology companies, enterprises, and governments looking to deploy AI. To help address this, KKR has formed a $50 billion strategic partnership with Energy Capital Partners, the largest private owner of power generation and renewables in the US, designed to deliver scaled data center and power solutions for hyperscalers and other market participants to support the rapid expansion of AI and cloud computing globally.
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