Humain and DataVolt announced a preliminary framework with Nebius for up to 50MW of AI data centre capacity at NEOM’s Oxagon on 21 October, half of the initial 100 MW under construction, NEOM said. The proposed arrangement would make Nebius an anchor customer for the planned campus. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Nvidia’s GTC Berlin conference, and the proposed allocation is expected to become operational in phases from Q4 2027.
Key points
- Nebius would take up to 50MW under a preliminary framework, against 100 MW currently under construction at Oxagon.
- The 100 MW forms part of a first phase planned at 360 MW.
- Nebius is expected to install Nvidia-powered computing infrastructure for its AI cloud.
- The proposed customer capacity is expected to enter operation in phases from Q4 2027.
Nebius would take up to 50MW at Oxagon
Oxagon is NEOM’s advanced industrial city on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Humain is owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, while DataVolt develops, owns and operates digital infrastructure. Nebius, listed on Nasdaq as NBIS, provides AI cloud services. The proposed framework would connect Nebius’s demand for data centre capacity with the site Humain and DataVolt are developing.
The contemplated offtake is up to 50MW. It is a proposed customer allocation within the 100 MW being built, rather than capacity already in operation. Humain chief executive Tareq Amin described Nebius as the company’s first customer and said the commercial relationship was advancing. His description of demand rests on the preliminary framework and the capacity it proposes.
NEOM’s newsroom dated the announcement 21 October. KSA Business reported that Humain and DataVolt announced the framework on 22 October. Both accounts describe Nebius’s proposed offtake as up to 50MW and the agreement as preliminary.
DataVolt’s 100 MW build sits within a 360 MW phase
Humain and DataVolt expanded their partnership in August to develop 100 MW of the planned 360 MW AI-ready data centre at Oxagon, w.media reported. The proposed Nebius allocation covers up to half that initial build. NEOM said the framework followed the announcement that construction had begun by six weeks.
DataVolt chief executive Rajit Nanda tied the customer discussions to the construction timetable. He described the engagement with Nebius as having reached an advanced stage within six weeks of the construction announcement. DataVolt’s stated focus at Oxagon is on the cost of delivering infrastructure and the speed at which it can bring capacity to market.
The 360 MW figure is the planned first phase, while the 100 MW is the portion described as currently under construction. Those are different stages of the project. Under the framework, Nebius’s proposed share relates to the initial build, giving Humain and DataVolt a prospective customer for capacity already in development.
Nebius plans Nvidia computing for its AI cloud
Nebius is expected to deploy Nvidia-powered computing infrastructure at the campus to serve demand for its AI cloud, according to NEOM. Humain’s role in the project sits alongside its wider plans for computing capacity. AI Affairs previously reported Humain’s plan for up to 84MW of Nvidia AI computing capacity.
NEOM managing director and chief executive Aiman Al-Mudaifer said Oxagon was intended to bring together the elements technology companies need to deploy capacity. The project’s stated proposition includes digital connectivity, developed land and scalable energy. For Nebius, the planned campus would provide infrastructure capacity for the growth of its AI cloud business.
Nebius’s proposed capacity allocation is expected to become operational in phases from Q4 2027, NEOM said.
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