Connect | MENA // Major Panel: Solving MENA’s cooling dilemma - Balancing heat, water, and efficiency in the AI era

As AI-scale workloads push power density to unprecedented levels, MENA’s data centers face a critical challenge: how to maintain efficient cooling in one of the world’s hottest and driest climates. Conventional air-based systems are nearing their limits, while water scarcity and sustainability mandates add further complexity. The region’s operators are now transitioning toward hybrid and liquid-cooling technologies to achieve the reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance demanded by AI-ready infrastructure. This panel confronts MENA’s cooling dilemma, examining the technologies, operational strategies, and policies shaping the next generation of thermal management. Discussion topics include the shift from air-based to liquid and direct-to-chip cooling, the adoption of recycled water and advanced efficiency metrics, and the design of precision cooling systems for desert environments. The session will also explore workforce readiness, AI-driven thermal automation, and the emergence of hybrid models that balance cost, reliability, and sustainability across MENA’s evolving digital landscape.