Intelligent Data Centres Issue 80 | Page 29

I N T E L L I G E N T T E C H N O L O G Y CONNECTIVITY

LINX announce major network upgrades at center3 Internet Exchange Point in Riyadh

The London Internet Exchange( LINX) has upgraded its network at the interconnection hub it powers in Saudi Arabia for data centre and digital enabler center3, a subsidiary of the STC Group.

Essential upgrades were carried out to increase the availability of 100GE ports following customer demand and also to enable the interconnection point with 400GE connectivity services.
These upgrades mark a major milestone in the evolution of the Internet Exchange Point( IXP) in Riyadh which has rapidly become a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’ s digital infrastructure since its launch in 2024.
Located at the Remal facility( RDC102), the exchange is now poised to meet the growing demand for high-capacity, lowlatency interconnection services from global networks, content providers and enterprises.
“ Demand for high-speed, resilient connectivity in the Kingdom continues to grow, and these upgrades ensure that the Riyadh IXP remains at the forefront of regional interconnection,” said Halil Kama, Director for the Middle East at LINX.“ By enabling 400GE capabilities and expanding 100GE availability, we’ re empowering networks to scale efficiently and deliver superior performance to end-users.
“ Riyadh is fast emerging as a global digital hub and with these upgrades, we’ re not just keeping pace with demand, we’ re setting the standard for what a modern, future-ready IXP should be.”
The enhancements align with and complement the broader vision to support Saudi Arabia’ s ambitious Vision 2030 agenda, which places Digital Transformation at the heart of national development. From Smart Cities and AIdriven healthcare to fintech and cloud services, robust digital infrastructure is essential to unlocking the Kingdom’ s full potential.
Strategic partner for the Middle East, center3 recently announced it is accelerating its data centre expansion, targeting 1 Gigawatt of total capacity by 2030 to support the growth in the region’ s broader Digital Transformation.
With over US $ 3 billion already invested and an additional US $ 10 billion planned, center3 is building a next-generation, carrier-neutral data centre ecosystem that delivers unmatched scalability, sustainability and reliability for enterprises, hyperscalers and government operations.
Since the inception of the LINX-powered IXP in Jeddah launched in 2019, the partnership between LINX and center3 has played a pivotal role in shaping the Kingdom’ s interconnection landscape and shows no signs of slowing down just yet. �
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