HPE ‘Saudi Made’ servers now come with Intel inside. The company has added the ProLiant Compute DL360 and DL380 Gen12 models, built at the alfanar plant in Riyadh and powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, to a range that until now ran on AMD.
The ‘Saudi Made’ programme began with the plant’s opening at LEAP 2024. It added the AMD EPYC-based DL365 and DL385 Gen11 models last year — we covered that launch — and now gains Intel. The Riyadh plant builds both of HPE’s processor platforms.
HPE puts the performance-per-watt gain at up to 41% over a similarly configured Gen10 server, with annual power use down as much as 65%, from its own measurements and a spec.org benchmark result. Management is simpler, with AI-driven insights built into the platform. Data centres in the Gulf know what the power number is worth.
HPE ‘Saudi Made’ servers: the Gen12 line
“We are excited to take the production of locally built HPE ‘Saudi Made’ servers to the next level. Powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, these new servers deliver the security, manageability, performance and energy efficiency that Saudi organizations need to sustainably accelerate their digital transformation.”
Mohammad Alrehaili, vice president and managing director for the Middle East at HPE
For a Saudi organisation that means Xeon 6-class performance from hardware assembled a short drive from its data centre.
Local production and data residency
Local production is about data residency. Saudi organisations can process and store data inside the country, keep visibility over their infrastructure, and meet tightening data-residency rules — the demand now shaping procurement across the region. HPE is not alone in betting on Riyadh: Lenovo opened a regional headquarters there this year.
“The launch of the next-generation HPE ‘Saudi Made’ servers, powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, reflects the depth of our collaboration with HPE and our shared commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s digital future.”
Taha M. Khalifa, general manager for Middle East and Africa, Intel
Intel gets a second Riyadh line running its chips; HPE gets a locally produced product to sell.
The Gen12 HPE ‘Saudi Made’ servers carry the ‘Saudi Tech’ logo and are available across Saudi Arabia and selected regional markets, including Jordan, Egypt and the GCC. The UAE counts as selected.
What is the HPE ‘Saudi Made’ programme?
A scheme to assemble HPE ProLiant servers in Saudi Arabia at a plant run with alfanar in Riyadh, opened in 2024. The servers carry the ‘Saudi Tech’ logo and support Saudi Vision 2030’s push to produce more technology locally.
What is digital sovereignty, and why does it matter?
The principle of keeping data and infrastructure inside national borders. Locally built servers let Saudi organisations store and process data in-country, keep control over their infrastructure, and comply with data-residency rules.
Are the Gen12 Saudi Made servers AI-ready?
HPE describes the Gen12 platform as engineered for AI-enabled workloads, with AI-driven management built in. The servers also handle hybrid cloud, data analytics and virtualisation.
