The Gulf’s Trillion-Dollar AI Ambitions: Can Water Supply Keep Up?
As the Gulf races to become a global AI superpower, a critical challenge emerges: escalating water demands from data centers.
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Water Consumption Crisis: Projections show that the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s data centers will need 426 billion liters annually by 2030, with the UAE alone expecting 61 billion. This demand comes from extreme summer heat and inefficient cooling methods, turning water scarcity into a significant bottleneck.
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Environmental Concerns: The reliance on traditional cooling systems—often wasteful of freshwater—places additional stress on one of the world’s most water-stressed regions.
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Innovation in Sustainability: Companies like Microsoft and Google are investing heavily in sustainable solutions, from research facilities to next-gen cooling technologies.
Despite these hurdles, regional governments remain steadfast in their AI ambitions.
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