NEOM Tech & Digital Company – on the back of announcing two products at LEAP – has unveiled the range of services it will offer at the half-billion-dollar data center, 'ZeroPoint DC', in partnership with digital infrastructure developer Ezdihar Advanced Company for Information Technology ("EzdiTek").   ZeroPoint DC will support three data centers with a capacity of 36MW and significant room for further expansion. At the nexus of terrestrial and sub-sea cable connections, the plan is to enable direct access to multiple cables, providing rapid, highly secure and carrier-neutral connectivity, in addition to a progressive regulatory framework and access to 100% sustainable energy.

NEOM, a planned futuristic city in the Tabuk Province, is all set for issuing its very first tenders for building a renewable power grid this year, as per Jens Madrian, the executive director of NEOM Energy.  Stating on the technical design of their high voltage power grid, Mr. Madrian said that they are expected to reach out to the market later this year.

As part of its mandate to create the most sustainable and environmentally friendly food ecosystems, NEOM targets producing an innovative food sector with a total output of over 600,000 tons by 2030, it has announced.  This should lead to mass self-efficiency and a stronger local economy, the company said in a presentation broadcast during the Saudi International Marine Exhibition and Conference in Riyadh on Sunday.

Cloud computing is proliferating in the Middle East as many organisations are moving their processes and data to the cloud. The region is undergoing economic transformations; more countries are implementing smart city initiatives and updating their national visions while improving their digital economies. Gartner estimates that end-user expenditure on public cloud services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will reach $5.7bn in 2022.

The Saudi Arabian planned city NEOM is seeking cooperation with Jordan to propel the advancement of economically feasible projects across vital sectors, the Jordanian agency Petra reported.  The news comes following a visit by NEOM Co.'s CEO Nahdmi Al-Nasr to Jordan's Prime Minister. The meeting was attended by officials from Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and NEOM's executives.

Extreme E Season 1 runners-up X44 have retained their driver line-up for the forthcoming campaign, with Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez back behind the wheel for the team founded by Seven-Time Formula 1™ World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.  Their speed behind the ODYSSEY 21 has never been in doubt, though, with X44 finishing as the fastest qualifier at all five X Prix in 2021, and they will be determined to maintain that imperious form on course as they bid for title glory in Season 2, which gets underway next month in NEOM, Saudi Arabia (19-20 February).