Schneider Electric Announces Details Of Its Acquisition Of Motivair For $850 Million During The Innovation Talks In Riyadh

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, hosted its latest Innovation Talks event in Riyadh under the theme “Innovation Talks: Partnering for AI Data Centers & Advanced Liquid Cooling.” During the event, Schneider Electric announced the acquisition of Motivair, a global innovator in liquid cooling systems for high-performance computing, a strategic move to accelerate the company’s global vision for sustainable, AI-driven data center solutions. The initiative closely aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to foster a thriving digital economy and position the Kingdom as a leading regional hub for data centers and AI. It also supports the goals of Saudi Green Initiative to accelerate the country’s transition to a green economy—particularly significant given Saudi Arabia’s current 86% share of the Middle East’s data center capacity. This acquisition marks a substantial step towards sustainable digital transformation across the Saudi Arabia Kingdom and the wider region.

Under the terms of the transaction, Schneider Electric will acquire an initial 75% controlling interest in the equity of Motivair for an all-cash consideration of $850 million, which includes the value of a tax stepup, and values Motivair at a mid-single digit multiple of projected FY2025 revenue. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the coming quarters. On completion, Motivair would be reported within the Energy Management business of Schneider Electric. The Group expects to acquire the remaining 25% of noncontrolling interests in 2028 and in Saudi Arabia as a key regional market. By leveraging Motivair’s renowned expertise in advanced cooling solutions for data centers and AI applications, Schneider Electric is well-positioned to support the Kingdom’s ambitious technological advancements. With the Saudi data center market projected to be the fastest-growing in the Middle East with a 19.88% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next three years, this move demonstrates Schneider Electric’s strong commitment to contributing to Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and broader economic digitization goals.

In a related context, Schneider Electric, headquartered in France, announced that its revenues for the first quarter of the year rose to €9.33 billion ($10.62 billion), driven by an organic revenue growth of 7.4% and a total increase of 8.4%, according to the financial results released by the parent company in France.

The Innovation Talks event brought together senior global leaders from Schneider Electric, members of the Saudi leadership team, and a select group of the company’s key customers and strategic partners in the data center and AI sectors. Notable attendees included Nirupa Chander, SVP Secure Power International Region, Schneider Electric; Marc Garner, C&SP Segment SVP, Schneider Electric; Andrew Bradner, SVP, Cooling Business, Schneider Electric; Elizabeth O’Sullivan, NVIDIA Alliance Leader & Chief of Staff to EVP, Data Centers & Networks Business, Schneider Electric; and Ahmed Gamal Eldin, Vice President of Secure Power & Data Center for Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen, and Bahrain, Schneider Electric.

Commenting on Riyadh’s hosting of the AI-powered data center Innovation Talks, Mohamed Shaheen, Cluster President – Schneider Electric Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen & Bahrain, stated: “The Innovation Talks series lies at the core of our commitment to promoting environmental sustainability in one of the Kingdom’s most dynamic and rapidly expanding sectors—data centers. With Saudi Arabia’s ambitious goal to increase data center capacity by 37% by 2027, our focus on building carbon-neutral facilities and enhancing energy efficiency is more important than ever. AI technologies are highly energy-intensive, which drives us at Schneider Electric to innovate cutting-edge solutions, including advanced cooling systems into data center operations. We are dedicated to delivering technological advancements that directly reduce both energy consumption and carbon emissions in this critical sector.” He added: “Schneider Electric’s acquisition of Motivair brings substantial strategic value to the Saudi market specifically, as it enhances our capability to deliver next-generation liquid cooling solutions for data centers. It reinforces our role as a key partner in supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and its digital transformation journey.”

The Innovation Talks event showcased cutting-edge products and solutions designed to support the next generation of AI-powered data centers. Key highlights included Motivair’s advanced liquid cooling technologies, purpose-built to meet the high-performance demands of AI and HPC (high-performance computing), alongside Schneider Electric’s comprehensive suite of AI-driven data center solutions and collaborative reference designs developed with NVIDIA and leading chip manufacturers. The event also featured Unified Operations Center (UOC) solutions offering end-to-end visibility and integrated management of all aspects of data center operations. These integrated technologies reflect Schneider Electric’s unwavering commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation and advancing the goals of Vision 2030 by introducing the latest innovations to the local market.

Speakers at the event emphasized that the rapid rise of generative AI and large language models has significantly increased the demand for vast computing power, necessitating new energy-efficient data center designs. Liquid cooling experts forecast a compound annual growth rate of over 30% in the coming years worldwide.

Schneider Electric plays a key role in supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, grounded in a strong belief in the power of strategic partnerships to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, for a sustainable, knowledge-based economy. This commitment is demonstrated through a series of memoranda of understanding and strategic agreements signed with prominent local and international companies operating in the Kingdom. Schneider Electric has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dulb Company to deploy its smart energy management and automation solutions in the fields of data centers and smart infrastructure. Furthermore, another MoU was signed with Edarat Group to bolster the hyperscale data center sector through the development of smart and sustainable infrastructure, and to expand the use of artificial intelligence applications to improve operational efficiency. Additionally, an MoU was established with Mobily to provide energy management and digital infrastructure solutions for big data centers, and to support the company’s efforts in decarbonizing its data centers and improving the indoor environmental quality within these facilities. The strategic partnerships extend to include Schneider Electric’s collaboration with DataVolt that focuses on promoting joint initiatives in sustainability, decarbonization, digital infrastructure development, and energy management in hyperscale data centers.

This proactive engagement by key technology partners like Schneider Electric is crucial as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to solidify its regional leadership in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital services—key pillars that empower various business sectors, foster innovation, and propel the digital economy towards new frontiers. This progress has positioned the Kingdom as one of the fastest-growing nations in terms of investment and technological capacity in the region, reinforcing its status as a central hub in the future of the digital economy. Data centers are at the heart of this transformation, playing a crucial role in enhancing business efficiency through AI and automation applications, which help boost productivity and reduce operational costs. They also provide the foundational infrastructure for digital services, offering an advanced environment for cloud computing and next-generation applications. Within this context, Schneider Electric stands out as a strategic partner in advancing the goals of Vision 2030. Leveraging over 40 years of experience in the Saudi market, the company continues to play a vital role in accelerating digital transformation and promoting sustainability across the Kingdom.

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