Magna AI and Emaar Executive Company (EEC) have announced a strategic collaboration to develop sovereign AI data centres and AI Factory infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Formalised at the Global AI Show in Riyadh, the partnership aims to support the Kingdom’s digital transformation by providing locally controlled, secure AI systems for government and enterprise use.
The agreement is designed to support the planning, development, and delivery of sovereign AI data centers, AI Factory infrastructure, secure AI platforms, and large-scale AI transformation programs across Saudi Arabia, with the potential to extend into wider MENA markets. The framework was formalized in Riyadh at the Global AI Show by Dr. Moataz BinAli, Chief Executive Officer of Magna AI, and Mr. Karthik Ramaswamy, CEO of Emaar Executive Company.
As Saudi Arabia continues to advance its national digital transformation agenda, the need for trusted AI infrastructure is becoming increasingly central to the Kingdom’s long-term competitiveness. Sovereign AI data centers and AI Factories are expected to play a critical role in enabling organizations to train, fine-tune, deploy, and operate advanced AI models while maintaining control over data, workloads, governance, and compliance.
As Saudi Arabia continues to advance its national digital transformation agenda, the need for trusted AI infrastructure is becoming increasingly central to the Kingdom’s long-term competitiveness. For both nations and organizations, AI sovereignty means keeping data, models, and the value they generate under local control rather than dependent on platforms owned elsewhere, this has become a foundation for security, resilience, and digital independence. Sovereign AI data centers and AI Factories are expected to play a critical role in enabling organizations to train, fine-tune, deploy, and operate advanced AI models while maintaining control over data, workloads, governance, and compliance.
“Sovereign AI is only as strong as the infrastructure beneath it, and that infrastructure has to be built and operated to the highest engineering standards, in-Kingdom,” said Dr. Moataz BinAli, Chief Executive Officer, Magna AI. “Emaar Executive Company brings the proven construction and engineering discipline to turn AI ambition into operational data centers on the ground. Together, we can give Saudi Arabia’s government and enterprise organizations AI infrastructure they own, control and can scale with confidence.”
As part of the agreement, Magna AI will lead AI Factory architecture, platform development, and AI security and governance, while Emaar Executive Company will deliver the engineering and construction backbone, including EPC execution, data center construction, civil, mechanical, electrical and low-voltage systems integration, on-site project management, facility support, and regulatory coordination. EEC’s capabilities are supported by ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications and a dedicated in-Kingdom workforce. Together, the companies aim to support the deployment of secure, scalable, and locally aligned AI infrastructure for government entities, regulated industries, enterprises, startups, and academic institutions.
The collaboration is expected to span from the earliest stages of infrastructure development through to long-term operation. This includes site identification, feasibility studies, and business-case development; systems integration for AI data centers; energy, cooling and sustainability optimization; and secure, compliant operations aligned with Saudi data-residency and cybersecurity requirements.
“Building national-scale AI infrastructure calls for engineering discipline, local capability and trusted delivery,” said Mr. Karthik Ramaswamy, CEO, Emaar Executive Company. “By combining our EPC systems-integration strengths with Magna’s AI Factory expertise, we are positioned to build and operate the data center infrastructure that underpins the Kingdom’s AI agenda, to the standards national and enterprise institutions require. Together, we aim to help customers translate AI ambition into deployable infrastructure and measurable outcomes.”
At the Global AI Show Riyadh 2026, Magna AI is participating as Title Sponsor, showcasing its full value-chain AI Factory, secure AI platform and sovereign AI capabilities. The agreement reflects Magna AI’s continued focus on building a strong partner ecosystem across Saudi Arabia and the wider region, enabling governments and enterprises to adopt AI on infrastructure that is secure, governed, and aligned with local priorities.
