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Connect | MENA // Panel: AI-driven growth - How is it reshaping data center investment in MENA?

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  • Open Session

Speakers

Stephen Beard

Head of Data Centres & Partner, Knight Frank

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Stephen Beard

Head of Data Centres & Partner, Knight Frank

As Head of Data Centres at Knight Frank, Stephen brings with him a wealth of expert experience across all transactional services including colocation acquisition, site acquisition and sale, Sale & Leaseback and general investment. He has acquired colocation space across 30+ global markets and has advised on over $1bn of data centre transactions. Stephen has a detailed knowledge of the EMEA, APAC AND LATAM markets and an extensive sector network including colocation customers, data centre operators, telecommunication providers and hyperscale cloud.

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Colm Shorten

Senior Director Data Center, JLL

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Colm Shorten

Senior Director Data Center, JLL

Colm has over 35 years of industry experience, working with leading global technology companies including Fujitsu & IBM, in semiconductor, corporate real estate, data centre and critical infrastructure positions.

Colm joined JLL’s Data Centre team as a Senior Director in 2020 to manage all corporate data centre requirements. He works with corporate clients, owners and occupiers of data centres, providing strategic advisory and execution to help drive returns, operational efficiency and profitability, and deliver on critical sustainability goals.

Also a member of the TIC council supporting the EU Joint Research Council (JRC) transforming the EU Code of Conduct in to an auditable framework , referenced in the European Taxonomy for Data Centre sustainability reporting

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Kamel Al Tawil

Managing Director, MENA, Equinix

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Kamel Al Tawil

Managing Director, MENA, Equinix

Kamel Tawil joined Equinix in September 2020 as Managing Director MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and he is responsible for developing MENA markets to deliver world class digital infrastructure solutions, building a network dense ecosystem. Prior, Mr. Tawil spent 18 years at Oracle in various leadership roles across ECEMEA (East Central Europe, Middle East and Africa) where he led major digital transformation projects.

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DCD>Keynote Panel: Building competitive AI infrastructure in the Middle East

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  • Main Stage
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Matthew Humphreys

Manager, Kearney

Matthew Humphreys

Matthew Humphreys

Manager, Kearney

Matthew Humphreys is a strategy consultant focusing on data center strategies for DC operators & growth strategies for telecom operators. His past experience was in a top tier global law firm. Matthew is a atrong entrepreneurship professional with a Master of Laws (LLM) from University of Pennsylvania as well as a Business Certificate from the Wharton School of Business.

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Anisha Walia

Engagement Manager, Analysys Mason

Anisha

Anisha Walia

Engagement Manager, Analysys Mason

Anisha is a Manager with Analysys Mason, bringing over 8 years of experience in the TMT (Telecom, Media, and Technology) consulting space. Based in Dubai, she has led multiple high-impact projects, including advising on several data centre transactions and developing go-to-market strategies for new entrants in the data centre space. Notably, she advised on the recent strategic partnership between KKR and Gulf Data Hub, aimed at scaling GDH's data centre platform across the region. Anisha’s expertise lies in delivering strategic insights and driving transformative outcomes in the rapidly evolving data centre industry.

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As AI adoption accelerates, MENA’s digital infrastructure is entering a new phase, driven by government-backed policies and rising demand for AI-ready infrastructure. With AI reshaping data center design, power consumption, and site selection, the region is at a pivotal moment.

At the same time, surging AI and cloud workloads are driving new demands on scalability, connectivity, and capital allocation. As competition to build AI-ready infrastructure intensifies, where should investors focus their attention next?

Attendees will gain insights on:

  • Where is AI-driven investment heading? – How capital allocation is shifting as AI demand changes the economics of data centers.
  • Risk vs. reward in AI-ready infrastructure – Are today’s investments future-proof? What risks do investors face in backing high-density, AI-focused data centers?
  • Balancing AI & cloud expansion – How should investors evaluate the long-term profitability of AI infrastructure vs. broader cloud expansion?