DATA CENTRE STRATEGY
The global data centre industry does not function independently from the geopolitical context in which it operates. Global risk factors such as international conflicts, cyber attacks, embargoes or legislation can have tremendous implications for the companies and operators coordinating the digital infrastructure sector.
For instance, the US-Iran War has rightly dominated headlines for its impact on global oil and gas markets. However, a silent bottleneck emerged in the global supply network causing alarm across the broader technology landscape.
A severe shortage of helium – an essential component for manufacturing the advanced semiconductors that power modern data centres – could threaten to stall the data centre industry’ s exponential growth.
If helium supplies dry up or face extended delays in production, the world’ s semiconductor fabs face catastrophic shutdowns. If this culminates in a shortfall of advanced chips, it could directly impact data centre operators who rely on them to scale their infrastructure.
What has been happening in the Middle East? Since the US-Iran conflict began on 28 February 2026, the world has witnessed severely disrupted global supply chains.
In particular, Qatar is a crucial producer of helium – historically supplying a third of global output,
which equated to 63 million cubic metres in 2025. Following drone strikes as part of Operation Epic Fury, QatarEnergy was forced to shut down its Ras Laffan facility, the world’ s largest LNG plant, in early March 2026. However, recent analysis from energy experts Wood Mackenzie indicated that even if the facility restarted in May, it would not return to full operations before August and could take years to reach full capacity again. Because industrial helium is primarily extracted as a byproduct of
76 May 2026