THE MIDDLE EAST DATA CENTRE MARKET IS ON A CLEAR AND IMPRESSIVE UPWARD TRAJECTORY . IT IS A MARKET THAT IS PRESENTLY ESTIMATED AT 1030MW – A FIGURE THAT IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE TO 2060MW BY 2029 .
D E E P D I V E
WE ‘ DEEP DIVE ’ WITH
KAMEL AL-TAWIL , MANAGING DIRECTOR , MENA , EQUINIX ,
WHO TELLS US ABOUT LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE . w
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the data centre industry ?
Since our establishment in the region over 12 years ago , one of the first goals we sought to accomplish was to implement our fabric platform , which paves the way for businesses to access seamless , on-demand , and scalable connections to their branches , customers and partners across the world .
This was a significant undertaking as it entailed skilfully navigating a complex regulatory environment , raising awareness and forging strong collaborations and partnerships . Though this took two years , we managed to get our fabric connected to the global platform , which has opened an entirely new set of capabilities for our customers – both in the region and internationally .
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THE MIDDLE EAST DATA CENTRE MARKET IS ON A CLEAR AND IMPRESSIVE UPWARD TRAJECTORY . IT IS A MARKET THAT IS PRESENTLY ESTIMATED AT 1030MW – A FIGURE THAT IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE TO 2060MW BY 2029 .
More recently , the crowning achievement of my work over the last 12 months was the establishment of DX3 – our largest data centre in the Middle East . This International Business Exchange ( IBX ), which will ultimately represent an investment of over US $ 100 million , is very much the physical embodiment of our commitment to creating and supporting digital opportunities for Dubai and the Middle East . And keeping with our CSR strategy , we plan for DX3 to be covered by 100 % renewable energy .
What first made you think of a career in technology / data centres ?
My fascination with tech started at a very young age , with the first tech product to really draw me being my Atari console . So gaming was my first foray into tech , so to speak . It was only later in university that I was exposed to ‘ conventional ’ IT equipment like the Olivetti mainframes of the time .
Admittedly , while good , I certainly wasn ’ t the best programmer , but with my love for tech already having taken root . I completed my Master ’ s in Business Studies and Computer Science . This was the foundation for me to then build my career in tech sales and ultimately management and leadership in firms such as AT & T , EMC ( now Dell ), Oracle and eventually Equinix .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
I believe a leader ’ s true position is to serve – the people they manage , their customers and the communities their organisations have the potential to impact . This means being available , approachable and embracing the approach of ‘ servant leadership .’
What do you think is the current hot talking point within the data centre space ?
A lot of due importance is given to the topics of sustainability , and the new performance demands being placed on chips by compute-intensive applications like AI . I would therefore like to draw attention to an area that is incredibly important but doesn ’ t receive nearly enough attention – ecosystems .
Thriving in today ’ s business landscape requires specialised digital infrastructure , services , applications and data . When businesses can find the right partners and connect with them in the right places , they can get the digital capabilities they need without having to build those capabilities themselves . This frees them up to specialise in their core business capabilities while leaving everything else to their partners and service providers .
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