Standing at a crossroads between East and West, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region enjoys growing prominence as a global data centre hub. Many countries in the area have outlined ambitious digital visions for 2030, with governments investing heavily in infrastructure and 5G deployments advancing.
That has created fertile ground for scalable, high-performance digital infrastructure players to serve a region of growing interest to hyperscalers.
As a newly launched, independent brand carved out of Qatar-based telecoms operator Ooredoo, Syntys is built to meet surging demand from hyperscalers, wholesale colocation providers and AI clusters by delivering carrier-neutral, agile infrastructure across markets such as Qatar, Kuwait and Tunisia.
“Our goal is to empower digital transformation in the MENA markets where we’re established and beyond by enabling seamless growth for our clients,” says Sunita Bottse, CEO of Syntys.
Core principles
Bottse was appointed CEO of MENA Digital Hub, the company behind the Syntys brand, a year ago. She brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at Microsoft and other leading data centre providers to navigate carve-out challenges, align stakeholder interests and drive the company’s expansion.
She says the carve-out serves as a key enabler of scale. “To meet the demands of hyperscalers, enterprises and governments on a wide scale nowadays, it’s essential to have an independent, dedicated, carrier-neutral platform,” says Bottse.
She explains that the new brand, launched in March, is the culmination of more than a year of strategic planning transferring assets to the new company, securing QAR2 billion (€500 million) in investment from major Qatari banks, consolidating teams, and creating robust governance and operational structures to support scalable growth.
“Syntys embodies synergy in action across teams, technology and client delivery,” says Bottse of the new name.
She highlights crucial advantages stemming from the already broad infrastructure that the company has through its portfolio of active data centres. “Our local knowledge of regulatory frameworks, power access and land acquisition is crucial to delivering on our clients’ timelines,” she says. “We focus not only on capacity, but also on long-term readiness.”
Growing with demand
While reinforcing its position in existing markets, Syntys is also ready to expand to other locations when the demand is there.
“Whether it’s hyperscale providers needing tailored built-to-suit solutions or high-performance computing infrastructure requiring advanced cooling, Syntys is designed to respond with fast deployment and reliable performance,” adds Bottse.
But while technology and infrastructure are vital, she also emphasises the importance of people in delivering impact. “A great infrastructure company isn’t just about technology,” highlights Bottse. “It’s also about the motivated, dedicated people who run it and how they listen, adapt and deliver support that truly reflects what clients need.”
In that respect, the region where Syntys operates is a key hub that draws in cutting-edge global talent, having helped the company build a strong, diverse team rooted in regional experience and international best practices.
Platform for growth
Meanwhile, through a US$1 billion investment in the medium to long term, Syntys plans to expand its data centre capacity to over 120MW to better serve rising demand for localised cloud services and IT workloads.
As part of its long-term strategy, Syntys recognises the strategic value of partnerships, having recently seen US-based global information management services firm Iron Mountain take a minority equity stake in the company. The team-up combines Iron Mountain’s global operating expertise with the existing regional footprint of Syntys, boosting operational support and advancing infrastructure development.
With the efforts it has made, Syntys has established the flexible capabilities that customers require in the digital transformation. “With these foundations, we’re ready to grow with our clients and support fast-growing digital economies with dependable, sustainable infrastructure built to meet the region’s ambitions,” says Bottse.
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