Geespace, the aerospace arm of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, has launched 11 satellites into low Earth orbit, expanding its ‘Future Mobility Constellation’ to 41 operational satellites.

The satellites, launched on August 9, form the fourth orbital plane of the network, known as GEESATCOM, which is designed to provide high-precision positioning, data links and communications to support autonomous driving and connected vehicle services.

Geely plans to complete the first phase of the constellation by the end of 2025, with 72 satellites in orbit, enabling real-time global coverage.

The company said the network will underpin technologies such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, urban air mobility and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Geespace launch follows deployments in 2022 and 2024

The latest launch follows earlier deployments in 2022 and 2024. Geespace sent nine GeeSAT-1 satellites into orbit in June 2022, 11 satellites in February 2024 and another 10 in September 2024.

By late 2024, the constellation provided continuous coverage for about 90 per cent of the globe, according to the company.

Geely said the constellation is aimed at delivering centimetre-level GPS accuracy, more reliable fleet tracking, over-the-air updates and uninterrupted connectivity for vehicles, including in remote areas without cellular coverage.

The project is part of Geely’s broader “Smart Geely 2025” strategy.

The company raised its research and development investment by nearly 18 per cent in H1 2024 to CNY7bn ($963m), with funds directed towards electrification and intelligent vehicle platforms.

Geely, which is an official partner of the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, plans to use the satellite network to manage event fleets, showcasing its transport management capabilities at scale.

Amanat Holdings, the UAE-listed healthcare and education investment firm, has completed the sale of its education real estate asset for Dhs453m ($123m).

The transaction delivers an unlevered cash-on-cash multiple of 1.7x and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 10 per cent, generating a net cash return of Dhs294m ($80m). The exit underscores the company’s strategy of disciplined investment, portfolio growth, and value-led monetization.

The divested asset comprises the real estate of North London Collegiate School, which Amanat acquired in June 2018 for Dhs360m ($98m), with an additional Dhs33m ($9m) invested in capital expansion, bringing total investment to Dhs393m ($107m).

Amanat’s chairman, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, said: “The sale of our non-core education real estate asset at a compelling valuation is a testament to Amanat’s ability to identify, grow, and strategically exit our high-quality investments. This transaction broadens our strategic options and reflects our continued focus on unlocking value and generating superior returns for shareholders. Moving forward, we remain committed to growing our market-leading Education and Healthcare businesses whilst at the same time delivering on monetization opportunities that generate further shareholder value.”

Read: UAE-based Amanat Holdings acquires majority stake in Sukoon via merger with CMRC

John Ireland, chief executive officer, added: “We are pleased to have completed the sale of our education real estate investment at a premium to our original investment, delivering a compelling financial return. It demonstrates the strength of Amanat’s investment model – from disciplined entry and portfolio development to value-led monetization. The Dhs453m in proceeds from this transaction enhances our balance sheet and provides flexibility to return value to shareholders and deploy capital into new opportunities that are aligned with our strategic priorities. We remain focused on scaling our high-performing assets and continuing to deliver strong and sustainable shareholder value.”

The exit highlights Amanat’s “identify, grow, monetise” approach, with proceeds earmarked for reinvestment into attractive opportunities in its core education and healthcare portfolio.

A recent survey by SevenRooms (April 2025) revealed that 87 per cent of UAE restaurant owners are already leveraging AI, with data analytics ranking among the top five areas of global adoption. This trend is reshaping the F&B industry, where operators are increasingly relying on technology to stay competitive.

Foodics, the MENA region’s leading restaurant operations and payments technology company, is capitalising on this momentum with Foodics BI, its advanced AI-powered business intelligence solution. Seamlessly integrated into the wider Foodics ecosystem, the platform enables restaurants to transform real-time business data into strategic actions, improving efficiency, profitability, and long-term growth.

“In a market where competition is stronger than ever, Foodics BI gives restaurateurs that extra edge. By turning real-time, complex data into clear and actionable insights, we’re helping restaurateurs make smarter and more informed decisions, respond to challenges faster and tackle them strategically and unlock new business growth opportunities. With AI-driven intelligence in their hands, Foodics BI is a powerful tool for efficiency, growth and long-term success,” said Belal Zahran, Foodics International managing director (Egypt and UAE).

Read: Middle East businesses embrace AI-powered analytics to drive smarter decisions

Designed for executives, owners, and managers, Foodics BI offers a high-level view of business performance for strategic decision-making. Its capabilities include:

• Advanced Data Exploration: Drill-down analysis to uncover the most relevant insights.

• Intelligent Insights Suite: AI-powered forecasting and inventory optimisation to minimise waste.

• Live Monitoring Hub: Real-time updates on sales, key metrics, and operational performance.

• Performance Benchmarking Toolkit: Historical and comparative analytics across branches, products, and categories.

• Simplified Reporting & Visualisation: Automated reporting and dynamic data presentation.

• Integrated Data Accessibility: Full cross-platform access with flexible export options.

Foodics reports that one client in Saudi Arabia recorded a 10x increase in insight generation after adopting Foodics BI, leading the restaurant chain to replace all internal reporting systems with the platform to enhance accuracy and decision-making speed.

With AI-enabled insights driving up to a 10 per cent boost in sales and 20 per cent improvement in profit margins, Foodics BI is positioning itself as a cornerstone technology for the next phase of restaurant growth in the UAE and beyond. Available as both a mobile app and a web platform, it empowers F&B operators to access critical intelligence anytime, anywhere.

Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate’s five commercial airports, has appointed Carsten Nørland as its new chief commercial officer (CCO).

Nørland will oversee the group’s commercial operations, including route development, retail, duty-free, food and beverage, property management, and partnerships.

He was previously chief executive of Scandlines, where he led a company-wide transformation that delivered record freight and leisure traffic, stronger financial results, and long-term repositioning.

Nørland has also held senior roles at Royal Unibrew and Copenhagen Airport.

Carsten Nørland to oversee commercial strategy at Abu Dhabi Airports

At Abu Dhabi Airports, he will lead the development of a commercial strategy covering both aeronautical revenue, through airline partnerships and network expansion, and non-aeronautical streams, including concessions, digital platforms, real estate, and passenger services.

“We are thrilled to welcome Carsten Nørland to the Abu Dhabi Airports leadership team,” said Elena Sorlini, managing director and chief executive officer at Abu Dhabi Airports. “His exceptional track record in transforming commercial operations and delivering sustainable growth aligns with our strategic goals.”

Nørland joins shortly after the opening of the new terminal at Zayed International Airport. Abu Dhabi Airports said his focus will be on strengthening passenger services, expanding partnerships, and unlocking new revenue streams to support the emirate’s aviation and tourism growth.

AI data centres (AI DCs) are the essential ‘hardware backbone’ of the global AI race, with the Middle East emerging as a key player with the region’s most recent initiative launches on the global map.

The demand for AI computing power has grown exponentially. Despite disruptors like Deepseek and improvements in chip efficiency, industry experts predict that increasing AI complexity and adoption will continue to fuel its steep upward trajectory.

In our recent publication ‘Breaking Barriers to Data Centre Growth’, we expect that global data centre power demand will reach 127GW by 2028, up from 60GW in 2023.

Nearly 35 per cent of the total DC power demand in 2028 will support GenAI.

More than 90 per cent of this will be used for inferencing – which makes sense, as inferencing encompasses the repeated, widespread use of a given AI model.

Skin in the game, chips on the table: The Middle East AI push is on

The Middle East is quickly emerging as a key AI DC nexus.

Major governments in the region are pursuing large-scale national AI strategies and investments.

New developments include:

In Saudi Arabia

• Launch of PIF-backed HUMAIN, KSA’s AI champion that will invest and operate across the AI value chain
• HUMAIN x NVIDIA’s partnership to build up to 500 MW AI DC over the next five years
• $10bn HUMAIN x AMD collaboration for 500 MW AI DC over the next five years
• $5bn HUMAIN x AWS partnership for an advanced AI zone
• $5bn DataVolt establishment of the region’s first truly sustainable, net-zero AI campus in Oxagon
• $1.5bn Groq x Aramco partnership to build the world’s largest AI computing centre

In the UAE

• 5GW-power AI campus in Abu Dhabi as part of the US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, built by G42 and American companies. The DC will cover 10 square miles and will be the largest AI DC outside of the US
• 500,000 GPUs to be imported, 20 per cent for G42 and the rest for US companies building AI DCs
• 160MW data centres across Ajman and Abu Dhabi by Khazna Data Centres

The Middle East is emerging as a crucial hub for AI data centre investment and innovation, offering several compelling advantages. The region’s strategic location allows it to serve around three billion people (~40 per cent of the world’s population) within a 2,000-mile radius, covering Europe, Asia, and Africa.

This geographical advantage is ideal for hosting non-latency-sensitive inferencing services at scale and positions the Middle East as a significant provider of AI computing services to the Global South.

Cost efficiency is another substantial benefit, with leasing costs up to 90 per cent lower than global averages and some of the lowest power tariffs worldwide.

Additionally, emerging data centres in the region are showcasing state-of-the-art innovation, leveraging advanced cooling technologies targeting leadership in power usage efficiency (PUE) rankings and drastically reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).

The region also offers quicker time-to-market benefits, thanks to countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have dedicated investment teams, streamlined regulatory processes, fast-track permitting, and special economic zones that simplify licensing and shorten DC completion times.

As for infrastructure, the GCC boasts expansive land banks, scalable power supplies, and planned connectivity expansions with the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) submarine cable project, expecting capacities of up to ~720 Tbps.

Winning takes more than power

Countries around the world are racing to capture the growing AI infrastructure demand, recognising both its economic and strategic benefits.

To establish the Middle East as a leader in the AI competition, governments and businesses need to focus on four critical areas.

First, lowering the total cost of ownership (TCO); as it is the primary value metric for international investors, with ongoing competitiveness and cost reductions central to a country’s value proposition.

Second, attracting a diverse mix of tenants, such as GPU-as-a-Service providers, hyperscalers, and colocation providers, is crucial to creating a thriving ecosystem that mitigates demand/supply risks and maximises utilisation.

Third, securing ecosystem partnerships is necessary, with collaboration among chipset companies, component providers, and research institutions strengthening local value propositions and the AI data centre value chain. Finally, developing and retaining talent is essential, as a skilled workforce is critical for driving innovation in AI models, platforms, and applications, ensuring long-term leadership beyond the infrastructure itself.

The bottom line

As AI reshapes economies and geopolitics, infrastructure is the frontline. The Middle East is uniquely positioned to become a global AI DC powerhouse, combining strategic geography, low costs, policy momentum, and geopolitical alignment.

But seizing this moment will require more than megawatts, it will demand partnerships, ecosystem depth, and a long-term talent pipeline

The writer is MD and partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) & Marc Nasr, and MD and partner, BCG.

Read: Taking AI-driven data centres into the future