Vodafone & Damac Digital inaugurate data center in Izmir

UAE-based data centre operator DAMAC Digital and Vodafone Türkiye have inaugurated the first phase of a new data centre in Izmir with an initial IT load capacity of 4MW and an investment of US$100 million.

The Izmir data centre, launched on Monday, spans 7,500 square metres and accommodates over 650 cabinets. The facility is designed with a scalable architecture capable of supporting advanced AI workloads and next-gen GPU technologies.

The data centre is also built with seismic isolation technology, which will provide enhanced protection against earthquakes and other natural hazards, supporting long-term operational resilience, security and service continuity.

The Izmir data centre has been in the works since 2024, when DAMAC Digital was still known as Edgnex. At the time, Edgnex and Vodafone Türkiye said the facility’s first phase would span 13,500 square metres and sport a capacity of 6MW, later be expanded to 12MW. The companies also expected the first phase to be completed in 2025.

DAMAC Digital and Vodafone Türkiye now plan to scale up the data centre’s capacity from 4MW to 20MW at a total investment of US$300 million, which they say makes it the largest such facility in the Aegean region.

Hussain Sajwani, founder of DAMAC Group and chairman of DAMAC Digital, said the data centre’s proximity to subsea cable landing stations connecting Europe, Africa and Asia positions Izmir as an emerging data centre and connectivity hub for Turkey and the wider Mediterranean region.

“As artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data-driven technologies reshape economies, advanced digital infrastructure will be fundamental to national competitiveness, innovation and sustainable growth,” Sajwani said in a statement. “Bringing together Vodafone Türkiye’s deep local capabilities with DAMAC Digital’s global expertise, we are helping to build the resilient, future-ready infrastructure that will power Turkey’s next chapter.”

Vodafone Türkiye CEO Engin Aksoy added that the data centre project builds on the telco’s long-term investment in Turkey’s digital future.

“This facility will not only scale Vodafone’s infrastructure but also reinforce Turkey’s cloud capabilities and data sovereignty, fuelling the critical data processing and AI needs of businesses,” he said.

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Source : Developing Telecoms, September 10, 2026.