Sharjah to have region's first sustainable data centre

Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

Lenovo signed a new agreement with Al Hathboor Bikal.ai, to provide public and private sector customers with cutting-edge high performance cloud computing systems to support advanced digital transformation projects which focus on developing innovation in the UAE.

Lenovo will also provide systems and expertise to support Al Hathboor Bikal.ai to build and operate a new sustainable data center at Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP).

The collaboration will see Lenovo and Al Hathboor Bikal.ai, the joint venture between Al Hathboor Group and Bikal Technologies Limited, working together to leverage shared experience in High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to provide customers in the region with advanced capabilities that will enable them to use AI to address business challenges and create new digital technologies.

The agreement was signed at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park recently in presence of Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO SRTIP and Raj Sandhu, GM Al Hathboor Bikal.ai, Mohammed Al Hathboor Management Committee Member of Al Hathboor Bikal.ai, and Alaa Bawab, General Manager, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group, META along with other senior management and dignitaries.

Commenting on the partnership, Raj Sandhu, GM Al Hathboor Bikal.ai said: “We have huge ambitions for Sharjah Research and Technology Innovation Park, and this partnership with a global leader like Lenovo, will set the path towards developing tailored infrastructure solutions that will solve both public and private organisational challenges. We look forward to leveraging Lenovo’s experience in the technology sector and enhancing our digital capabilities while also welcoming new AI-powered and data-enabled research and technologies.”

"Al Hathboor sees this collaboration as a way to give the UAE a technological advantage to the innovation ecosystem,  create jobs and opportunities for our youth, and develop tech for solving regional and global challenges. Lenovo, Nvidia and Intel with SRTIP gives us a joint capability in tech transfer and we look forward with working with our universities, businesses, and government”, Added Mohammed Al Hathboor Management Committee Member of Al Hathboor Bikal.ai.

HPC For All: Lenovo will provide High Performance Computing (HPC) hardware and software to Al Hathboor along with operational management and support, to create on demand services for customers as well as managed services support. The partnership will democratise the use of HPC for various private and public sector organisations allowing them to access HPC cluster on a service model.

As an example of one application, the HPC cluster situated at SRTIP can play a crucial role in enhancing citizen health and safety within the emirate of Sharjah. By harnessing the power of HPC, authorities can process and analyze vast amounts of data from various sources, such as CCTV systems, and sensor networks, through to analysing data from patients to diagnose health issues This enables real-time monitoring, helping to identify potential threats swiftly and respond proactively. Additionally, HPC systems can also enhance emergency response and disaster management by optimizing resource allocation, analyzing weather patterns, and coordinating rescue efforts. Furthermore, HPC's advanced analytics capabilities facilitate predictive modelling and machine learning algorithms, enabling agencies to detect patterns of activities and predict potential events. Ultimately, HPC empowers decision-makers to make data-driven choices, enhancing the safety and health of citizens throughout the UAE.

The agreement will leverage Lenovo’s position as the one of the only providers for proven, ready-to-deploy AI-enabled infrastructure solutions that are optimized for industry-leading independent software vendors (ISVs) of any size and scale. Lenovo will also provide support through its AI Centers of Excellence, including access to Lenovo Data Scientists, AI architects and engineers, to leverage the company’s multi-industry domain experience to deploy AI and machine learning research solutions that can be used across various sectors including education, R&D, retail, oil & gas and more.

With its AI-ready servers and storage solutions, active partnerships and an ecosystem of ISVs, Lenovo will deliver pre-validated, performance optimized AI-ready solutions on demand, even under the heaviest high-performance workloads.

Sustainable Data Center: As part of the deal, Lenovo will implement one of the first data center in the region to use Lenovo’s patented Neptune Liquid Cooling Technology, which will greatly improve energy efficiency and sustainability of services delivered by Al Hathboor.  The unique thermal solution uses efficient liquid cooling to reduce cooling requirements in the data center, reducing energy consumption and contributing to sustainability goals. The solution is designed for sustainable performance and scalability, while supporting the emergent demands for HPC workloads without compromising on performance.

Alaa Bawab, General Manager, Lenovo Infrastructure Group, META added, “The agreement with Al Hathboor Bikal.ai for HPCaaS is a gamechanger, providing organizations with the ability to access high performance computing and advanced technologies including AI, to power their digital transformations, with the confidence that they are accessing services from the region’s first sustainable data center.” He further added, “Along with being in line with the UAE Net Zero 2050 policy, the launch of this data center will also enable access for organizations to powerful solutions and the computing resources to utilise them effectively. This in turn will help drive new innovations, such as Large Language Models similar to GPT-3 and help organizations to bring the benefits of advanced AI to their own operations.”

The agreement and the opening of the new sustainable data center both align with the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative. The initiative is a national drive to reduce net-zero emissions by 2050, powered by key sustainability goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, implementing sustainable practices, and using renewable energy. The new data center keeps this in mind, driving efficiency while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.

The agreement will also form the platform for cooperative activities and research in relevant fields such as technology incubation and development. Both parties will also promote activities to encourage cooperation between technology companies, while supporting each other with international conferences, symposiums, and events.