Yamna, a UK-founded company backed by British investment funds, is set to sign an agreement with Oman to build a large-scale AI data centre in Salalah, the UK government said on 21 October 2026, during Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s state visit to Britain.
The UK government said the first phase is expected to exceed £1bn and that the project will create more than 100 highly skilled jobs in the UK. On 22 October, Gulf News reported, citing the Oman News Agency, that Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology had signed a memorandum of understanding with the company. A memorandum sets out the two sides’ intentions; it is not yet a final investment decision.
Why it matters: data centres are the buildings that house the computers AI services run on, and a large site in Salalah would add to Oman’s digital infrastructure. The UK announcement also lists planned cooperation on responsible AI in education, including English-language learning and support for teachers.
What to watch: whether a final agreement is signed, the size and timing of construction, and how many jobs the project creates in Oman itself, which the UK announcement does not say.