The deals underscore the industry’s appeal in attracting a range of investors — from banks to real estate players — as the AI boom drives demand. They also show how much of a data centre hotspot Asia has become, with demand set to expand by about 32% a year through 2028, according to data by real state services firm Cushman and Wakefield, outpacing the US’s expected growth of 18% although US tariff policy could be a wild card for the industry.
Artificial intelligence advances are fuelling a funding frenzy for data centres in Asia, spawning a series of record-breaking loans and filling the pipeline with even more potential deals.
In the span of a week, two major Asian data centre operators secured their biggest-ever loans, partly earmarked for the expansion of their operations in Malaysia, which is becoming a hub for these facilities.
