Quantum Global Data Centre (QGDC), a venture backed by Gul Ahmed Energy Group, has announced plans to establish what is expected to become Pakistan’s largest Tier III data centre, with an initial investment of $230 million. The facility is scheduled to become operational in 2027 and reflects increasing momentum in Pakistan’s digital infrastructure landscape as demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI) computing and enterprise data hosting continues to rise.
The announcement was made during Q Summit, where QGDC also confirmed a strategic partnership agreement with Huawei Pakistan to jointly develop the data centre and a science and technology park. The collaboration is intended to support Pakistan’s broader digital transformation efforts through enhanced computing infrastructure and technology enablement. According to details shared during the summit, the project’s investment may expand to nearly $600 million over the next three to four years, depending on growth in demand and future development phases. The initiative arrives at a time when organisations across sectors are increasing reliance on cloud based systems, requiring stronger local infrastructure to support data processing, storage and digital operations.
Speaking at the summit, QGDC Chairman Danish Iqbal said Pakistan remains in the early phase of AI adoption but is already spending between $700 million and $800 million annually, indicating strong and growing demand for computing power. He highlighted concerns that Pakistan could become increasingly dependent on imported computing capacity and external data services if local infrastructure development does not accelerate. According to Iqbal, expanding AI capabilities across industries will require substantial computing resources, making local data centre development an important factor in enabling digital growth and reducing dependency on overseas systems. He noted that current levels of AI usage in Pakistan remain limited, though demand is expected to rise significantly as digital ecosystems mature.
Iqbal also pointed to growing local demand for data centre capacity from businesses, hospitals, educational institutions and digital platforms as more services transition toward cloud environments. Industry speakers participating at Q Summit argued that investment in digital infrastructure can generate broader economic value by strengthening enterprise technology capabilities and supporting long term digital adoption. As organisations continue to modernise operations and AI driven technologies become more integrated into business processes, large scale infrastructure projects such as QGDC’s planned facility are expected to play an increasing role in meeting local computing requirements while supporting Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
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