A prominent real estate leader in the UAE, closely linked to Donald Trump, is investing billions into data centers, aiming to seize opportunities presented by the booming AI landscape and position himself as a global frontrunner in this industry.

The Vision Behind the Investment

Hussain Sajwani, the chairman of DAMAC Properties and listed as the second wealthiest Arab by Forbes, recognizes the immense potential in the data sector as the demand for computational resources skyrockets. Sajwani, who attended Trump’s inauguration in 2025 and has shared moments on social media with high-profile figures such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, has built a substantial fortune of $15.3 billion by navigating Dubai’s volatile real estate market. He conveyed a sense of optimism during an interview at the Datacloud Global Congress in Cannes, stating, “We’re part vision and part being lucky, and thank God, today we’re building a beautiful business.”

His pivot towards the data center industry arose during the pandemic when government-mandated lockdowns forced professionals to rely on video conferencing tools like Zoom. As he spent hours connecting with others online, he quickly identified that the surge in remote communication and e-commerce would inevitably drive growth in data centers. He noted, “The idea came during Covid, where everybody was locked down… and I thought the data center business would have a future. Honestly, I never thought there would be such growth.”

Global Expansion Plans

Sajwani has strategic plans to establish data centers in 13 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. If fully realized, these projects will have the capacity to deliver a total of 6,000 megawatts, requiring an investment of approximately $66 billion. Despite facing challenges, including geopolitical tensions and drone attacks on data facilities in the UAE, Sajwani remains unfazed. He expressed confidence in the UAE’s resilience and the government’s defense efforts, emphasizing that his commitment to data centers remains steadfast.

“DAMAC Digital,” launched in 2021, is already making strides with completed facilities in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and aims to have eight operational sites by year’s end. The expansion continues across countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, further solidifying Sajwani’s ambitious vision.

Focusing on Future Technologies

Sajwani, likened to a “Donald of Dubai,” has built his wealth by seizing the right opportunities at pivotal moments. His journey into property began in the 1990s, and he capitalized on the real estate boom initiated by Dubai opening its market to international investors in 2002. After enduring the financial turbulence of 2008, DAMAC rebounded strongly, constructing 60,000 properties while another 60,000 remain in development.

Significantly, Sajwani’s vision extends beyond merely surviving; it includes outpacing major global competitors in the data center sector. Several major cloud and AI players have already signed agreements to utilize DAMAC’s data centers, although their identities remain undisclosed. Sajwani believes DAMAC Digital may one day surpass DAMAC Properties as the largest entity in his business portfolio.

With nearly 6,000 megawatts of land and the requisite power infrastructure earmarked, Sajwani is gearing up for what he perceives to be a substantial upsurge in data service demand. He dismisses fears of an impending AI bubble and emphasizes a transformative shift led by AI technologies across all facets of life. “In the coming three or four years, the demand is huge,” he affirmed, setting lofty aspirations to surpass Equinix, the world’s preeminent data center provider.

Sajwani firmly states, “We want to be the top in the world,” a mantra that reflects his unwavering ambition to lead the data center industry globally.