UK outlines £1bn-plus Salalah data centre plan during Oman state visit
The UK government says Yamna’s planned AI data centre in Salalah is expected to exceed £1 billion in its first phase and create more than 100 skilled UK jobs.
The UK government said on 21 October that the first phase of Yamna’s planned AI data centre in Salalah, Oman, is expected to exceed £1 billion as Sultan Haitham bin Tarik visits Britain. According to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the project is expected to create more than 100 highly skilled UK jobs through exports of British expertise and returns for UK-backed investors.
The announcement follows the sultan’s arrival for a three-day state visit hosted by the King and Queen. VisitWindsor lists the visit at Windsor Castle from 20 to 22 October. The investment announcement came after the opening of the visit, which NewsJaws covered in its report on the Windsor welcome.
Investment agreement and planned UK–Oman cooperation
The FCDO said an agreement intended to accelerate two-way investment was expected to be signed on 21 October. It would build on the UK–Oman Sovereign Investment Partnership and support investment in sectors including renewable energy, technology, critical minerals, space and healthcare. The department described the investment and jobs figures for the Salalah project as expectations.
The government also said the countries would sign agreements on responsible use of artificial intelligence in education. Those plans include support for English-language learning and for teachers using AI safely in classrooms. A separate agreement would bring the UK Space Agency and the Omani government together on space policy, scientific research and innovation.
A proposed memorandum of understanding with Oman’s Maritime Security Centre would strengthen information-sharing and knowledge exchange on maritime security, the FCDO said. The government also announced a diplomatic partnership pathway between the UK Diplomatic Service College and the Omani Diplomatic Academy to share expertise and develop joint initiatives.
Existing UK–Oman investment and trade
The measures build on an investment partnership created in 2022. Oman has invested £1.7 billion in the UK since then, according to the FCDO. The department put UK exports to Oman at £1.1 billion over the four quarters through the end of the first quarter of 2026.
The FCDO said the Foreign and Defence Secretaries and the UK Minister for Trade were set to meet Omani counterparts during the visit. It described closer cooperation on security, defence and trade as part of the agenda.
Read in depth: World
The Gambia receives $2.57m from Yahya Jammeh mansion sale for victims
The Reparations Commission says proceeds from the former president’s forfeited Maryland property have reached its fund, but individual payments have not been detailed.
Persian Gulf region oil flows exceed prewar level as Hormuz traffic lags
Kpler figures cited by the Wall Street Journal put regional oil flows above their prewar level in the week through October 18, even as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz...
Sources and context
- Major investment to drive growth and jobs across Britain as Sultan of Oman visits UKForeign, Commonwealth & Development Office, GOV.UK
- State Visit to Windsor by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of OmanVisitWindsor
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.