Moro Hub signs deal with Huawei to build solar-powered data centre
- 08 May 2021
Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions ), a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has signed an agreement with Huawei to build the largest solar-powered Uptime TIER III-Certified Data Centre in the Middle East and Africa at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
The new sustainable, carbon-neutral green data centre uses 100% renewable energy and has a capacity exceeding 100 megawatts (MW) and is the second solar-powered green data centre in Dubai launched by Moro Hub.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East, and signed by Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO Digital DEWA and Jerry Liu, CEO of Huawei UAE.
Al Tayer said, “The sustainable data centre supports Dubai’s 10X initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the Emirate a city of the future, putting it 10 years ahead of other global cities. This meets our ambition to deliver sustainable digital transformation and anticipate and shape the future. This supports the UAE Centennial 2071 to make the UAE the world’s leading nation and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The carbon-neutral centre supports Dubai’s efforts to exceed the goals of Dubai’s Carbon Abatement Strategy in reducing carbon emissions by 16% by 2021. Dubai has surpassed this target, reducing emissions by 22% in 2019. The new centre positions Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA Group which also includes InfraX and DigitalX, as a leading contributor to the UAE’s circular economy, while significantly aids DEWA’s progress towards sustainable development.”
He added, “The centre will offer digital products and services using Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as cloud services, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Since the new green Data Centre is the largest in the Middle East and Africa, it will enable global hyper-scalers to access carbon-free computing. Moro Hub’s green data centre will help customers in their sustainability initiatives to reduce their carbon emissions and become carbon neutral.”
Yang said,”We are pleased to associate with Moro Hub as the key technology provider for the largest green data centre in the region. This is an important association, and it allows us to strengthen our partnership with Moro Hub and take part in fortifying the UAE’s sustainable development goals. There’s been significant growth in the renewable sector, and we are optimistic that this agreement will reinforce our endeavours to implement and strengthen the adoption of carbon-neutral digital technologies.”
Commenting on this announcement, Mustapha Louni, Senior Vice President, Middle East, Africa & Greater India, Uptime Institute, said: “We laud the relentless efforts of the UAE government to accelerate the adoption of the next-generation infrastructure for its citizens and businesses. Construction of the most sustainable Uptime Institute TIER III-Certified Data Centre in the region will provide green leadership to the IT industry at large, and we are confident that this new facility will support the country’s sustainable economic growth for years to come.”
Moro Hub has recently deployed Google Cloud’s Anthos, from its first solar-powered Green Data Centre in the region.
Google Anthos is a hybrid and multi-cloud platform designed to enable cloud migration, application modernisation, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud management.
Moro Hub’s adoption of Anthos will make it available locally in Moro Hub’s Data Centre.
Anthos will enable Moro Hub to build and deploy apps fast and scale effectively without compromising security or increasing complexity.
Commenting on this collaboration, Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman of Moro Hub, said, “Our engagement with Google Cloud to deploy the phenomenal benefits of Anthos marks a milestone for Moro Hub. Anthos is well-aligned with our vision to be the digital transformation hub of choice for our customers and partners. Anthos gives us an innovative multi-cloud and hybrid cloud app modernisation platform to build and deliver new services for our customers.”
As a Dubai 10X enabler, Moro Hub’s mission from its inception has been to support the UAE’s digital goals and stay ahead of the competition.
Moro Hub is playing a significant role in enabling regional customers to achieve their digital transformation objectives.
“We are pleased to see Moro Hub deploy Anthos as their hybrid and multi-cloud platform of choice,” said Tarek Khalil, country manager for Google Cloud Middle East and North Africa.
“We are delighted to leverage our global partnership with Google Cloud and our large capabilities on Anthos to support the digital transformation in the region from the first solar-powered Green Data Center of Moro Hub and advance our shared vision of a decarbonized cloud,” said Nourdine Bihmane, Head of Atos Growing Markets and Decarbonization Business Line.