Morocco attracts Korea’s Naver AI Data Center
Data centers are burgeoning in Morocco and show no sign of slowing, especially in today’s technology-driven world. The country is becoming a popular location for hosting data centers of leading IT companies due to its geostrategic position, pro-business environment, renewable energy sources, cost-effective real estate, access to a skilled workforce and a favorable tax climate.
On Friday, an international consortium led by Korean Naver firm announced its decision to build an AI data center in Morocco. The Consortium includes Nvidia, AI infrastructure specialist Nexus Core Systems and international investment firm Lloyds Capital.
The Moroccan 500-megawatt, renewable energy-powered data center will serve as a sovereign AI computing hub for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Morocco’s strategic location, proximity to Europe and directly connected via multiple subsea fiber-optic cables, played a critical role in the site selection.
Naver Cloud, in collaboration with Nexus Core Systems and Lloyds Capital, will oversee the operation of the center’s platform to
to offer a fully integrated suite of AI services and applications built on an advanced cloud infrastructure.
The first phase of the project is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. It includes the deployment of a 40-megawatt AI supercomputing infrastructure equipped with Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPUs, to be completed by year-end. The center will scale up in phases to reach its full 500-megawatt capacity.
To support the initiative, the consortium has signed a strategic power purchase agreement with energy firm TAQA, securing a stable and sustainable renewable energy supply for the facility.
Morocco hosts currently 23 data centers, becoming the leading host country in Africa. According to experts, data center location decisions are driven by a complex interplay of factors, including proximity to business hubs, regional infrastructure capabilities, and long-term operational sustainability.