AESG Expands to Capture US$470M GCC Data Centre Consultancy Market

The expansion comes as the GCC data centre market accelerates at pace. Valued at approximately US$3.5 billion in 2024, the market is projected to reach US$9.4 billion by 2030. With the addressable consultancy market sitting at an estimated US$470 million. Alongside the commercial opportunity, AESG’s expansion is driven by its unique ability to address integrated delivery gaps.

A key differentiator lies in AESG’s multidisciplinary approach, designed to tackle one of the sector’s most consistent challenges: cost and schedule overruns, which impact up to 40% of mission critical projects. By integrating expertise across MEP, structures, cost management, sustainability, and commissioning within a single team, AESG enables full coordination from the outset. This allows for early clash detection, budget control, and continuous design validation, ensuring buildability is addressed throughout development rather than at the final stages.

“Too many mission critical projects are impacted by late-stage coordination challenges that drive cost and programme risk,” said Saeed Al Abbar, CEO of AESG. “At AESG, we address this by integrating disciplines from day one, ensuring design is buildable, performance and budget is validated early, and outcomes are delivered with confidence.”

The firm’s local roots and established relationships with government and utility authorities also provide a critical advantage in addressing grid-related constraints. Power availability remains one of the most significant bottlenecks in the region, with connection timelines in some markets extending to between 18 and 36 months. AESG mitigates this risk by undertaking detailed grid feasibility studies at the concept stage, designing substations where required, and exploring hybrid energy solutions such as solar combined with battery storage. Its working relationships with authorities across the UAE and Saudi Arabia enable early visibility into infrastructure capacity, helping clients make informed decisions from the outset.

Sustainability remains central to AESG’s approach. As data centres emerge as a major contributor to energy, water, and carbon consumption, the firm is applying its established net zero expertise in the built environment to this rapidly growing sector. By embedding sustainability considerations from day one and leveraging advanced modelling techniques such as computational fluid dynamics, AESG is targeting lower power usage effectiveness levels for new developments. This is increasingly critical as hyperscale operators demand more efficient performance, particularly in the context of AI-driven workloads.

The division will be led by industry veterans Steve Liong, who has been appointed Commercial Director of Mission Critical, and Ferruh Ertekin, who joins as Head of Mission Critical. Together, they bring more than 35 years of combined experience in mission critical infrastructure delivery across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Liong brings over 15 years of regional experience delivering mission critical infrastructure across the MENA region, with previous roles at Bechtel, Multiplex, and RED Engineering. His portfolio spans the full project lifecycle, from concept and employer’s requirements through to detailed design, contract administration, and handover of facilities ranging between 30 MW and 50 MW.

Outlining the division’s focus, Liong said, “Our key focus shall remain on the UAE and Saudi Arabia markets, where demand for hyperscale data centres continues to grow, driven by cloud adoption and the increasing influence of AI. While the opportunity is significant, our approach is measured. We are focused on delivering commercially robust, future-ready infrastructure that meets real client needs rather than chasing short-term trends.”

Ertekin has more than 20 years of specialised experience in mission critical infrastructure, with particular focus on designing and delivering high-performance data centres and sustainable power infrastructure. A Chartered Engineer, his portfolio includes hyperscale and colocation data centre campuses across EMEA, ranging from single-site facilities to multi-gigawatt developments supporting AI factories and cloud platforms, alongside HV/MV substations, covering due diligence and feasibility studies through to utility coordination and grid connection strategies.

“This expansion rounds out our data centre offering, enabling us to support clients from early advisory through to commissioning, bringing an integrated approach across the full project lifecycle. The market is facing significant delivery challenges, from power constraints, to grid limitations, and rising complexity driven by AI workloads – we see a clear opportunity to address these through a more coordinated technical approach. Critically, we’re not retrofitting legacy designs for AI. We are designing AI-ready infrastructure from the outset, with the power systems and cooling flexibility to adapt as technology evolves,” said Ertekin.

Looking ahead, AESG plans to scale the division rapidly across offices in the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company is also investing in advanced capabilities, including on-site power generation solutions, to support clients operating in grid-constrained environments.

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