The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing approved municipal requirements for commercial data centers in Saudi Arabia, setting out the regulatory, technical and operational requirements for their establishment, development and operation. The requirements will take effect from the date of publication.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the new requirements apply to carrier-neutral commercial data centers, whether located within or outside urban areas. They aim to standardize procedures and requirements across the Kingdom, improve clarity for investors and facilitate the process of conducting the activity.
The requirements set out location criteria for data centers, including easy access for operations and maintenance teams, availability of essential services, including electricity, telecommunications and transportation and compliance with approved building regulations and requirements for parking, setbacks, building heights and landscaping, as well as any regulatory requirements issued by relevant authorities.
Data centers are also required to obtain Civil Defense approval to issue a license, submit a valid commercial registration covering the activity to be licensed, in addition to approval from the authority supervising the activity, apply the Saudi Building Code, design and construction supervision works must be approved by accredited engineering offices and comply with standards related to fire protection, cooling systems, electrical power and backup systems.
The requirements also include provisions related to security monitoring systems, maintenance, waste management and universal access for persons with disabilities, as well as displaying the unified electronic code that provides access to the facility’s regulatory data and documents.
The ministry said the approval of the requirements is part of efforts to support the growth of the data center sector, stimulate investment in information technology and enable digital infrastructure to keep pace with the expansion of digital services in the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing approved municipal requirements for commercial data centers in Saudi Arabia, setting out the regulatory, technical and operational requirements for their establishment, development and operation. The requirements will take effect from the date of publication.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the new requirements apply to carrier-neutral commercial data centers, whether located within or outside urban areas. They aim to standardize procedures and requirements across the Kingdom, improve clarity for investors and facilitate the process of conducting the activity.
The requirements set out location criteria for data centers, including easy access for operations and maintenance teams, availability of essential services, including electricity, telecommunications and transportation and compliance with approved building regulations and requirements for parking, setbacks, building heights and landscaping, as well as any regulatory requirements issued by relevant authorities.
Data centers are also required to obtain Civil Defense approval to issue a license, submit a valid commercial registration covering the activity to be licensed, in addition to approval from the authority supervising the activity, apply the Saudi Building Code, design and construction supervision works must be approved by accredited engineering offices and comply with standards related to fire protection, cooling systems, electrical power and backup systems.
The requirements also include provisions related to security monitoring systems, maintenance, waste management and universal access for persons with disabilities, as well as displaying the unified electronic code that provides access to the facility’s regulatory data and documents.
The ministry said the approval of the requirements is part of efforts to support the growth of the data center sector, stimulate investment in information technology and enable digital infrastructure to keep pace with the expansion of digital services in the Kingdom.
