Amazon Web Services (AWS) and a newly established Saudi AI company called HUMAIN are embarking on a remarkable $5 billion investment to develop artificial intelligence (AI) in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration will help create a dedicated AI Zone in the region and aims to foster AI adoption on a global scale.
This AI Zone will utilize state-of-the-art AWS infrastructure, including high-performance servers, advanced semiconductors, and UltraCluster networking. These technologies are designed to accelerate AI training and inferencing. The initiative will feature AWS services like SageMaker, Bedrock, and Amazon Q, which facilitate the development and deployment of generative AI (genAI) applications.
This venture aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which strives to transform the nation into a global tech leader. To fulfill this ambition, AWS will introduce its cutting-edge computing and AI tools, such as Amazon SageMaker for building machine learning models, Amazon Bedrock for securely rolling out genAI tools, and Amazon Q, an advanced AI coding assistant.
Moreover, the partnership plans to establish a shared marketplace for AI software, aiding government agencies in accessing AI tools. This collaboration will drive innovation in important sectors like healthcare, education, and government services, offering benefits such as personalized education, early disease detection, and streamlined government operations.
Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology in Saudi Arabia, praised this cooperation, stating, “This new collaboration with HUMAIN lays the foundation for the intelligent era, accelerates our innovation momentum, grows our talent, and reinforces Saudi Arabia’s position as a global partner of choice in the age of AI.”
To support local talent development, AWS will provide cloud and AI skills training to 100,000 Saudis. Certifications such as AWS AI Practitioner and AWS Machine Learning Engineer Associate have been developed to enhance the nation’s digital expertise. Enhancing Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem is another objective. The collaboration will provide cloud tools, AI services, and support programs like AWS Activate, fostering innovation in the startup scene.
Combined with the business potential that AI offers, a report from PwC estimates that by 2030, AI might contribute $130 billion to Saudi Arabia’s economy, making it the largest AI economy in the Middle East. Matt Garman, CEO of AWS, expressed his commitment to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by stating, “This collaboration to build an AI Zone in Saudi Arabia will enable innovations across all industries using AWS’s advanced AI offerings.”
