Oman and the United Kingdom are expanding their economic and technology partnership through plans for a major artificial intelligence data centre in Salalah, with the first phase expected to require more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in investment, reported The Konsulteer.

The project forms part of a wider package of investment and cooperation initiatives announced during Sultan Haitham bin Tarik's recent state visit to the UK. 

The government describes Yamna as a company backed by British investment funds. The project is expected to create more than 100 highly skilled jobs across the UK through the export of British expertise and generate returns for UK-backed investors.

However, the announcement does not specify the data centre's planned computing capacity, construction commencement date, expected completion date or intended customers. These details will be important in assessing the project's eventual contribution to Oman's AI infrastructure, stated the report.

The proposed development adds to the Gulf's wider efforts to attract investment in the computing infrastructure needed to support enterprise AI, cloud services and advanced digital applications.

For Oman, a large-scale data centre in Salalah could strengthen the country's position in the regional digital economy and attract further investment into technology-related infrastructure. The project's eventual impact will depend on its implementation, including access to power, network connectivity, financing and demand from AI and cloud customers.