Dubai Developer's $20B Data Center Play Targets Ohio Site

DAMAC Digital’s $20 billion U.S. data center commitment, announced alongside President Donald Trump in January 2025, is moving toward its first visible milestone in Ohio. The Dubai-based subsidiary of DAMAC Group has scheduled a July 14 community forum at the Edward Peel Coleman Community Center, 1400 Sherrick Road SE, Canton, beginning at 6 p.m., where it will present plans for a hyperscale facility on more than 80 acres northeast of Trump Avenue SE and Orchard View Drive SE.

The capital behind the project is substantial, even if specifics remain scarce. DAMAC Digital has not disclosed the investment amount or facility size for the Canton development, and the company did not respond to requests for comment on either figure. What is known: the company has already secured demolition permits for residential structures on the site and has committed to fully funding the required power infrastructure, a cost that can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars for facilities of this class.

Additional reference context is available at https://www.cantonrep.com/story/business/2026/07/10/damac-digital-shares-canton-ohio-data-center-plans-to-host-meeting/90873905007/.

The proposed development would consist of two high-efficiency buildings and a dedicated substation designed to support artificial intelligence and cloud technology workloads. Construction is expected to employ hundreds of skilled trade workers, with at least 60 permanent positions created once the facility is operational.

By contrast, two competing hyperscale projects in Stark County are further along. Bitdeer operates a 221-megawatt crypto mining facility in Massillon, partially operational and expected to reach full completion by fall. Amazon is constructing a 240-megawatt data center in Perry Township, south of Faircrest Street SW. DAMAC’s entry would make Canton the third hyperscale node in the county, deepening the region’s emerging position as a digital infrastructure market.

DAMAC Group itself is a conglomerate with deep capital reserves and a diversified asset base. Founded in 1982 as a logistics and catering provider, the group has since expanded across property development, hospitality, retail, and fashion, with operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. DAMAC Digital, established as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2021, currently operates at least 35 data centers across 13 countries, offering hyperscale, build-to-suit, and colocation services. The group also owns a Trump-branded golf course in Dubai that opened in 2017.

Hussain Sajwani, DAMAC Group’s founder, framed the Canton investment in terms of industrial continuity. “Canton has a proud history of building things that matter, and we want to continue that tradition responsibly,” Sajwani said in a July 9 news release. “By combining our development experience with eco-friendly design, we are proud to invest in Canton’s future while carefully safeguarding the local resources and quality of life that residents value most.”

One operational cost center drawing scrutiny is the cooling system. DAMAC plans a closed-loop design using municipal water in a one-time startup fluid mixture of 70 percent water and 30 percent propylene glycol, functioning similarly to an automotive radiator, with fans cooling the liquid for recirculation within the sealed apparatus. Propylene glycol carries a low-toxicity profile and is designated as generally recognized as safe by the FDA for food applications; it also serves in deicing solutions, medicines, and cosmetics. The one-time water requirement will not exceed 1 million gallons per building, a figure the company is presenting as evidence of responsible resource management.

The regulatory environment is still taking shape. Canton City Council is updating zoning regulations to address noise, utility consumption, and other data center-specific matters, with a vote scheduled for July 27. C. Stephen MacKenzie, president and CEO of the Stark Economic Development Board, positioned the investment as a competitive necessity. “Stark County has historically benefited from its strong infrastructure, which led to generational economic growth and stability,” MacKenzie said. “Building a digital foundation in Stark County permits us to be competitive in today’s emerging industries and embrace future opportunities.”

Canton Mayor William V. Sherer II signaled municipal openness while emphasizing public engagement. “We’re looking forward to working with DAMAC to educate our community about its upcoming project,” Sherer said, adding that the city is “committed to being transparent.”

Not all stakeholders are aligned. Skilled trade organizations have endorsed the projects as sources of tax revenue and employment. Canton resident Christine Gingerich, who lives approximately four miles from the proposed site, has launched a petition supporting the Conserve Ohio initiative, which seeks to ban new data centers exceeding 25 megawatts statewide. The organization initially targeted a November ballot measure but is now targeting 2027 to collect the needed signatures. Gingerich acknowledged the appeal of the closed-loop cooling design but pressed for accountability. “It sounds good, and I want to believe the developers,” she said. “I do have some concerns. They want to have safeguards, but how do we know it’s true?”

The July 27 zoning vote may offer the clearest early signal of whether Canton’s regulatory framework will accelerate or complicate DAMAC’s timeline. Details about the project are available at orchardviewdata.com.