Turner & Townsend completes expansion programme for Khazna data centres

Khazna, which is majority-owned by Mubadala Investment Company, is the only dedicated commercial wholesale data center provider in the UAE and one of the largest data center infrastructure operators in the Middle East.  

The expansion – comprising two new modular data centers at a size of approximately 17,166m2 – has delivered an additional IT load of 7.5 megawatts at each facility, one in Meydan Dubai and the other in Masdar City Abu Dhabi, allowing the firm to meet increasing customer demands and serve growing IT demand across the region. With the completion of the expansion works, the two facilities boast a total IT load capacity in excess of 26 megawatts.

Playing an integral role in the development, Turner & Townsend provided services spanning project management and design management through to contract administration, planning and health & safety consultancy services on the expansion of both data centers. 

Throughout the procurement and construction stages, Turner & Townsend also led a team of technical consultants and cost consultants including WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and AECOM. 

The business provided innovative and efficient design support, allowing for a 30 per cent saving in the overall gross floor area of the existing utility building, and leading to the data center achieving an Estidama Pearl 3 rating – the first time a data center of such magnitude has achieved this in the UAE.

Turner & Townsend has a long-standing relationship with Khazna, having been the partner of choice for project management on its projects over the last five years. 

Iyad Khalas, director of operations at Khazna, said: “This expansion is a milestone for us, bolstering our strategic position within the industry and enabling us to provide additional IT load capability across the region to meet growing customer demand.  

“Turner & Townsend were invaluable as partners on a project of this size – bringing global experience in project management for data center infrastructure and specialist knowledge of the UAE market.  Their appointment ensured we were able to deliver the new data centers efficiently. 

Commenting on the completion, Andrew Pettigrew, Project Director at Turner & Townsend, said: “As data requirements accelerate in the Middle East, we’re seeing greater demand to deliver new infrastructure.  

“We’re proud to support Khazna in its quest to be the main provider of data center space within this emerging market, and were well-placed to draw on our market intelligence, work collaboratively with the local authorities, contractors and operators, and ensure the new data centers were completed on time and on budget.”