Phoenix Group, an IHC portfolio company listed on the ADX, has partnered with DC Max to develop its first European artificial intelligence data center in Lyon.
The project will involve the development of an 18MW AI-focused facility and marks the first deployment under Phoenix Group’s European Data Center Platform, a broader infrastructure initiative targeting more than 1GW of combined AI and high-performance computing (HPC) capacity across Europe and the GCC region.
According to the company, the move aligns with the UAE’s wider ambitions in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, positioning an Abu Dhabi-headquartered company within the growing global AI infrastructure market.
Under the partnership, DC Max will contribute expertise in site origination, permitting, and grid access, while Phoenix Group will provide capital investment and operational capabilities related to infrastructure development and deployment.
Munaf Ali Co-Founder-Group CEO Phoenix Group
“What we are announcing today is not an incremental step; it is a genuine inflection point for Phoenix and for what an Emirati company can achieve on the global stage. We are establishing a presence at the heart of European AI infrastructure, bringing the conviction and capital to build something that will compound in value for years to come. The 1GW ambition is not a ceiling; it is a starting point.”
Phoenix Group stated that the demand for AI infrastructure in Europe continues to rise rapidly, driven by enterprises and hyperscale technology companies securing compute capacity well in advance.
The company noted that traditional data center development timelines in Europe often range between 36 and 48 months, limiting the ability of operators to respond quickly to market demand.
The company identified France as a strategic market for expansion, citing the country’s industrial infrastructure, power availability, and growing role in Europe’s digital economy. Lyon was selected due to its strong electrical infrastructure, industrial ecosystem, and comparatively lower land costs than Paris.
The two companies emphasized that the partnership has been structured as a scalable development platform rather than a single-project arrangement.
The platform includes a pipeline exceeding 1GW of opportunities with an estimated value of approximately $8 billion across key European markets.
Romain Fremont, Chief Executive Officer of DC Max, commented that, “Phoenix brings exactly the kind of operational scale and capital discipline that French data center development has been waiting for. We have spent years identifying and securing the best power positions in this market, in Lyon and across France, and this partnership means we can now move on that pipeline at a pace and scale that would not have been possible independently.”
The new platform will complement Phoenix Group’s existing infrastructure portfolio, which includes 550MW of deployed capacity across the UAE, Oman, North America, and Ethiopia.
