G42, the Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing firm, has teamed up with Kenyan technology company EcoCloud to develop a green data centre in the East African country.
Powered by geothermal energy – clean power made using heat from the earth's crust – the centre is expected to have an initial capacity of 100-megawatt.
It has the potential to build up to a gigawatt, the companies said on Friday.
The project aims to reduce fossil fuel dependence and cut carbon emissions, they added.
Geothermal technology has a potential of more than 10GW in Kenya, figures compiled by KenGen, which generates most of the country's electricity, show.
Amos Siwoi, chief executive of EcoCloud, and Peng Xiao, group chief executive of G42, signed the agreement in the presence of Kenyan President William Ruto.
The data centre is a “milestone towards realising Kenya's potential as a global digital hub and fulfilling our mission of making intelligence accessible to everyone, everywhere”, Mr Xiao said.
The initiative intends to unlock new economic opportunities, stimulate innovation and drive the digital economy forward, making Kenya the centre of technological innovation in Africa.
Demand for data centres across Africa is expected to surpass supply by 300 per cent in the coming years, according to African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM).
A rapid increase in capacity is needed to support the growth potential of the continent’s digital economy.
Despite significant investments from global players, with a market experiencing an annual compound growth rate of 12 per cent, ample opportunities remain across Africa to develop and expand data centre capacity, AIIM, which manages private equity infrastructure funds, said in one of its reports.
The latest eco-friendly data centre in Kenya is expected to boost businesses and propel technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our commitment to sustainability and innovation,” Mr Siwoi said.
“By harnessing the power of geothermal energy, we are not only meeting the region's data needs but also setting a new standard for eco-friendly infrastructure.”
The UAE is leading the region in adopting the latest technology and implementing digital transformation strategies. Dubai is home to one of the world’s largest solar-powered data centres in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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