HUMAIN, DataVolt Break Ground on First 100MW of 360MW NEOM
HUMAIN chief executive Tareq Amin said construction is underway on the first 100MW of a planned 360MW AI data center at Oxagon, NEOM, with that initial phase targeted for operational readiness in 2028.
HUMAIN, the PIF-owned AI company, and Saudi developer DataVolt broke ground on 100MW of a planned 360MW first-phase AI data center at Oxagon, NEOM, HUMAIN chief executive Tareq Amin said August 31, 2026 at LEAP in Riyadh; the first 100MW is targeted for operational readiness in 2028, according to AGBI and w.media reporting citing the companies.
The Gulf Tape Desk · 4 min read- HUMAIN and DataVolt broke ground on 100MW of a planned 360MW first-phase AI data center campus at Oxagon, NEOM, with the milestone marked at the LEAP 2026 summit in Riyadh on August 31, 2026.
- HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin said construction is underway on the 100MW tranche; the first 100MW is targeted for operational readiness in 2028, per AGBI and w.media.
- The partnership was originally announced at LEAP 2025 in February 2025; the August 2026 event marked the groundbreaking on the first phase, not a new deal.
- DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda and NEOM managing director Aiman Al-Mudaifer also spoke at the groundbreaking; the wider Oxagon campus is planned to reach 1.5GW.
- Project cost, financing structure, and allocation of the remaining 260MW of the 360MW first phase beyond HUMAIN's 100MW share were not disclosed.
HUMAIN, the Public Investment Fund-owned AI company, and DataVolt broke ground on the first 100MW of a planned 360MW AI data center campus at Oxagon, NEOM's Red Sea industrial city, HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin said at the LEAP 2026 summit in Riyadh on August 31, 2026, according to AGBI and w.media, corroborating Economy Middle East's report of the milestone. This is a factual account of a reported infrastructure build-out, not investment advice.
A 2025 Deal, a 2026 Groundbreaking
The HUMAIN-DataVolt partnership was first announced at LEAP 2025 in February 2025, and the August 31, 2026 event at LEAP's following edition marked the physical groundbreaking on the first 100MW tranche, per AGBI and w.media. NEOM managing director and CEO Aiman Al-Mudaifer said the groundbreaking is "an important demonstration of the industrial ecosystem taking shape at Oxagon," w.media reported, framing the milestone as execution on an existing commitment rather than a newly struck deal.
Who Said What
HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin said "Construction is underway, 100MW is moving forward. We are building with the speed and scale that the next era of AI demands," according to AGBI's report from the groundbreaking. DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda separately said "AI infrastructure at this scale demands more than capital and capacity, but disciplined execution," per w.media. The 100MW is described in both reports as the first slice of Oxagon's 360MW first phase.
The 2028 Target and What's Still Open
AGBI and w.media both report the first 100MW is targeted for operational readiness in 2028. Neither report, nor Economy Middle East's, discloses a total project cost, financing structure, or how the remaining 260MW of the 360MW first phase will be allocated beyond HUMAIN's share. w.media reports the wider Oxagon campus is planned to reach 1.5GW eventually, but no timeline was given for that expansion beyond the first phase.
What to Watch
The next confirmable milestones are a disclosed financing package or project cost, any additional named partners for the remaining 260MW of the first phase, and progress updates toward the 2028 target for the initial 100MW. Given PIF's ownership of HUMAIN, a capital-markets disclosure tied to the project — bond issuance, project financing, or PIF portfolio reporting — would be a primary-source signal worth tracking. This is markets and infrastructure reporting, not a trade recommendation.
- What exactly happened, and when?
- HUMAIN and DataVolt held a groundbreaking for the first 100MW of a planned 360MW AI data center campus at Oxagon, NEOM, at the LEAP 2026 technology summit in Riyadh on August 31, 2026, according to Economy Middle East, AGBI and w.media.
- Is construction actually underway, and who said so?
- Yes — HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin said at the groundbreaking, "Construction is underway, 100MW is moving forward. We are building with the speed and scale that the next era of AI demands," per AGBI's reporting.
- When is the facility expected to come online?
- AGBI and w.media report the first 100MW tranche is targeted for operational readiness in 2028; no date was given for the remaining 260MW of the 360MW first phase or for the wider 1.5GW campus w.media says is planned for the site.
- Who is backing HUMAIN and DataVolt on this project?
- HUMAIN is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and owned by the Public Investment Fund, per AGBI. NEOM managing director and CEO Aiman Al-Mudaifer spoke at the groundbreaking, and DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda represented the developer, according to w.media.