Central Asia's AI Data Center Race Heats Up with Saudi-Backed Uzbekistan and Nvidia-Supported Kazakhstan Projects
Summary
- • Saudi Arabia-backed TAS-1 data center in Tashkent to complete its 6MW first phase by year-end 2026.
- • Kazakhstan's Nvidia-backed facility targets 125MW capacity with 100,000 Nvidia chips by 2027.
- • Central Asia is emerging as a new frontier for global AI compute infrastructure investment.
- • International backers including Saudi Arabia and Nvidia signal serious long-term commitment to the region.
Details
TAS-1 Data Center Completing 6MW First Phase in Tashkent by Year-End
Built by DataVolt in Uzbekistan's capital; Saudi Arabia-backed; first phase due for completion by end of 2026.
Kazakhstan Targeting 125MW AI Compute Campus with 100,000 Nvidia Chips
Nvidia-backed facility due by 2027; would be one of the largest concentrations of AI compute outside traditional tech regions.
Saudi Arabia Financing the Uzbek TAS-1 Project Through DataVolt
Gulf capital continues flowing into global AI infrastructure, now reaching Central Asia for the first time at scale.
Nvidia Backing Kazakhstan's Large-Scale AI Compute Campus Development
Nvidia extending its global infrastructure footprint into Central Asia, adding the region to its network of strategic data center partnerships.
Central Asia Entering the Global AI Data Center Race as New Frontier
Both projects signal the region transitioning from energy exporter to AI compute hub, attracting major international capital.
Key facts about the two flagship projects launching Central Asia's AI infrastructure race.
What This Means
Central Asia is emerging as a genuine frontier in the global AI infrastructure race, with both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan attracting large-scale international investment from Saudi Arabia and Nvidia respectively. These are not peripheral experiments—a 125MW facility with 100,000 Nvidia chips would rival some of the world's largest AI compute installations. If both projects are delivered on schedule, they could meaningfully shift the geography of global AI development and signal that Central Asian nations are positioning themselves as serious players in the broader AI supply chain.