Submer, an end-to-end AI infrastructure provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Edgecore Networks, a global provider of open networking and AI infrastructure solutions, to explore AI-ready data centre infrastructure opportunities across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META).
The partnership combines Submer’s expertise in data centre advisory and consultancy, design and construction, IT integration, power infrastructure and advanced thermal management with Edgecore’s portfolio of open, high-performance networking solutions. Edgecore’s offerings include AI and machine learning switches, data centre and optical networking, as well as disaggregated infrastructure designed for high-bandwidth and low-latency workloads.
The collaboration comes as growing AI adoption across META increases demand for more sophisticated digital infrastructure. The rapid expansion of GPU-intensive workloads is resulting in higher rack densities, increased power consumption and greater cooling requirements. At the same time, sovereign AI initiatives are creating demand for infrastructure that can be deployed locally while remaining scalable and resilient.
READ ALSO: MASTERCARD AND BUSHA PARTNER TO EXTEND CRYPTO CREDENTIALS TO AFRICA
Against this backdrop, the companies say the conventional approach of developing facility, power, cooling, compute and networking systems as separate components is becoming increasingly difficult to scale. Their collaboration will therefore focus on bringing these infrastructure requirements together earlier in the planning and deployment process.
Under the agreement, Submer and Edgecore will explore joint solutions and customer opportunities, including the development of integrated AI infrastructure that combines advanced facility, power and thermal engineering with high-performance networking for dense AI and high-performance computing environments.
The companies will also work on integrating networking with computing, monitoring and other essential IT systems to simplify deployment and operational management. Submer’s thermal infrastructure capabilities will be applied to address the increasing heat-management requirements associated with dense GPU deployments, while both companies will explore infrastructure designs that align networking, power, cooling and facility requirements from the outset.
The partnership will further include joint go-to-market initiatives targeting enterprises, data centre operators, service providers and organisations investing in sovereign and enterprise AI infrastructure across META. The companies also intend to support customers as they transition from infrastructure planning and design to fully operational AI-ready environments.
According to Submer, the partnership reflects a shift in the AI infrastructure market, where customers increasingly require technologies that are designed to work together rather than being deployed as isolated components. Khalid Aljamed, General Manager for Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Submer, said the increasing density of GPU systems is making power, thermal management, networking and facility design increasingly interconnected.
Edgecore CEO Mingshou Liu said the growth of large-scale GPU clusters is changing data centre networking requirements. He noted that Edgecore’s open networking approach can provide the flexibility and performance required by AI environments, while Submer’s thermal and data centre infrastructure expertise can help customers address the wider requirements of high-density AI deployments.
The partnership comes as investment in AI, cloud and digital infrastructure continues to grow across META. National AI and digital transformation strategies, particularly in Gulf countries, are driving demand for advanced data centres capable of supporting high-performance computing and dense GPU deployments.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also emerging as major centres for sovereign AI investment, increasing the need for not only computing capacity but also the power, cooling, networking and facility infrastructure required to deploy AI systems at scale.
The announcement follows Submer’s expansion across the META region, including the establishment of regional operations and a headquarters in Saudi Arabia. Through its collaboration with Edgecore, the company aims to strengthen its ability to deliver coordinated AI infrastructure solutions combining advisory services, design and build, power, thermal management and IT integration with Edgecore’s open networking technologies.
As AI workloads continue to increase computing density and place greater demands on data centre infrastructure, the collaboration is expected to help organisations across META develop and scale AI-ready environments with greater coordination, flexibility and deployment efficiency.
