Marcos pitches data center project to UAE's DAMAC Digital

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with top officials of DAMAC Digital on Tuesday to explore planned investments in the Philippines, including a potential data center in Laguna.

The meeting, held at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Abu Dhabi, brought together Marcos, several Cabinet secretaries, and DAMAC Digital founder and chairman Hussain Sajwani, along with other company executives.

During discussions, Marcos and Sajwani focused on opportunities in the country’s digital infrastructure sector, as they cited the Philippines’ potential as a hub for data centers, cloud computing, and AI (articifial intelligence)-powered technologies.

The business talks were part of Marcos’ two-day working visit to Abu Dhabi, which also included his participation in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026 Summit and the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Key Philippine officials attending the meeting included Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, ICT Secretary Henry Aguda, Finance Acting Secretary Frederick Go, PCO Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ver, and Special Presidential Envoy to the UAE for Trade and Investment Kathryna Yu-Pimentel.

DAMAC Digital, the data center and digital infrastructure arm of the Dubai-based DAMAC Group, was originally launched as EDGNEX Data Centres in 2021. It was rebranded in June 2025 to reflect its global expansion and the group’s strategic ambition to become a leader in digital infrastructure.

The company designs, builds, and operates data centers supporting hyperscale wholesale, retail colocation, cloud, and AI-intensive workloads, with an emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and global connectivity. Its infrastructure is designed to meet high-density computing needs and growing digital demand.

Currently operating in 11 countries—including the UAE, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Southeast Asia, and Europe—DAMAC Digital employs over 100 professionals and aims for a global capacity of 4,000 megawatts (MW) by 2025, including 55 MW in the Middle East.

As part of its Southeast Asia expansion, the company has pledged over US$3 billion in investments, targeting 300 MW of operational capacity in the region by 2026.—MCG, GMA Integrated News