Sabah Welcomes Investment and Partnerships

Sabah has progressed well because it has always remained open to credible investment and constructive partnerships that support Sabah’s development priorities.

“Openness, however, must always go together with due diligence and responsible decision-making,” Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said at the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for the proposed establishment of Sabah’s first Artificial Intelligence Data Centre (AIDC), 12th November 2026 at the Sheraton Hotel, Kota Kinabalu.

“Bringing together partners from different fields and countries is an encouraging first step. We look forward to careful planning, proper assessment and meaningful results for all parties.” North AIDC Sdn Bhd signed the MoUs with several global partners to begin the process of establishing an AI data centre in Sabah. The investment may create opportunities for Sabahan firms in engineering, civil works, telecommunications, logistics and support services. The data centres can spur businesses for local procurement, specialist training, technology transfer and opportunities for Sabah-based companies.

“We must ensure that investments build local participation into their plans from the outset, including opportunities for Sabahan contractors, partnerships with universities and technical institutions, apprenticeships for young people, and pathways for local firms to develop new capabilities,” Hajiji said. “But the priorities must first be to pass technical and financial viability, environmental safeguards, fulfilling requirements, and complying with State Government’s policies, development priorities and the wider public interest.”

Sabah can learn from the experience of other states, including Johor, where growing interest in data centres has brought opportunities but it has raised issues on adequate supply of utilities and proper environmental management, Hajiji added.