Middle Eastern telecoms firm Ooredoo has inaugurated a new data center and cable landing station (CLS) in Salalah, Oman.

Inaugurated last week in the presence of Sayyid Marwan bin Turki, Governor of Dhofar, alongside Ooredoo Oman CEO Saoud Al Riyami, the company said the data center was a “milestone project that reinforces the Sultanate of Oman’s position as a key hub on the region’s digital transformation map.”

The facility, located in Dhofar Governorate on Oman's south coast, launches with space to host 125 racks. The company said it will grow to capacity for 500 racks in phases.

“The new facility is the first of its kind in the south of the Sultanate, uniquely combining a world-class data center with a submarine cable landing station in one location,” Ooredoo said.

The Dhofar government claimed the new facility was the largest Tier III quality facility in the governorate. Uptime currently lists four Tier III-certified facilities in Oman; none are from Ooredoo, and none are located in Salalah.

“The Salalah Data Centre and Landing Station is a catalyst for Oman’s digital future,” said Saed Al Ghafri, director of infrastructure at Ooredoo. “It reinforces our role in driving economic diversification, attracting global digital investment, and enabling the next wave of cloud and AI innovation. By creating a southern gateway for international connectivity, we are strengthening Oman’s position as a regional leader in the digital economy and unlocking long-term value for businesses, communities, and the wider region.”

Ooredoo launched an Oman subsidiary in 2004. The company announced plans for three data centers in Oman – in Barka, Salalah, and Sohar – in August 2022.

Ooredoo Oman opened a new 7,000 square meter (75,300 sq ft) data center in Baushar, south of Muscat, in March 2021. The Sohar facility launched last year.

The 2Africa subsea cable system is set to land in Barka and Salalah, Oman, in partnership with Ooredoo.

Equinix, Datamount, and Omani telco Omantel operate facilities in Oman. Equinix and Omantel launched a facility in Salalah last year.

Salalah is also a landing point for the Gulf2Africa (Zain Omantel International, a joint venture between Zain and Omantel, is the landing partner in Oman) and Subcom’s Oman Australia Cable. China Mobile and Reliance Jio’s India Europe Xpress and Google’s Raman cables are also set to land in the city (Zain Omantel International is set to be the local partner for the latter system).

Ooredoo currently operates more than 26 data centers across Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, and Tunisia. Previously known as Mena Digital Hub (MDH), the telco spun out its data center business into a new venture known as Syntys alongside Iron Mountain earlier this year.