Sharjah, a city in the United Arab Emirates, is looking to lure data centers to the area and signed an agreement with a Chinese cloud provider.

The Sharjah Communications Technology Authority (SCTA) this week announced it has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DataCanvas International and AI Caravan.

The MoU outlines a collaborative effort among the parties to explore opportunities for establishing and operating data centers and advancing technological infrastructure projects in Sharjah.

Details on any potential data centers that might be development as a result of the MoU weren’t shared.

“The memorandum underscores the commitment of all three parties to forge a sustainable, long-term strategic partnership built on innovation and well-defined roles,” a press release about the agreement said. “This partnership aspires to enhance Sharjah's infrastructure, support its transition to a knowledge-based economy, attract premium investments in artificial intelligence, nurture local talent, and create a cohesive system aligned with global best practices to meet the emirate's development objectives.”

Located north of Dubai, Sharjah is a major port city and the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.

XDS Data Centres recently launched a 1MW immersion-cooled facility in the city. Khazna is also developing a facility in the area.

Data Center Map currently lists one facility in the city from product development company Al Hathboor Bikal.ai, which offers HPC services using Lenovo hardware. Uptime also lists a local government facility in Sharjah on its certification awards page.

DataCanvas (aka Nine Chapters Cloud) is a Beijing-based provider of AI infrastructure and cloud computing services. The firm has previously partnered with Telkom Indonesia’s NeutraDC, HPE, and AI cloud service provider Cirrascale to jointly develop data centers.