Saudi Arabia’s artificial intelligence initiative, HUMAIN, is set to make waves in the global AI sector with a $10 billion venture capital fund. Backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the move aims to position Saudi Arabia as a central player in the AI industry. Tareq Amin, Chairman of HUMAIN, highlights the fund’s focus on fostering growth among promising AI startups, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
This ambitious project is not just about investment. The organization’s roadmap includes the development of up to 1.9 GW of AI-focused data center capacity by 2030, with further plans expanding this to 6.6 GW. A pilot site, powered by 18,000 Nvidia GPUs, is under development and will become operational next year.
Strategic partnerships further emphasize HUMAIN’s reach. The company has secured $23 billion in agreements with American tech giants such as Nvidia, AMD, Amazon Web Services, and Qualcomm. A $10 billion joint venture with AMD aims to deliver 500MW in AI compute capacity, while a $2 billion partnership with Qualcomm will establish a chipset design center in Riyadh.
HUMAIN aspires to manage 7% of global AI model training by 2030, covering both model development and inferencing capabilities. “Whoever reaches the end line first is going to secure a good chunk of the market share,” Tareq Amin remarked, indicating the aggressive nature of the strategy to dominate the AI space.
Engagements don’t end with American tech firms. Discussions are ongoing with key U.S. players such as OpenAI, xAI, and Andreessen Horowitz for potential partnerships. These relationships are strategic, as HUMAIN aims to expand its influence and market reach without making impulsive decisions.
The initiative also aligns with recent regulatory changes. Notably, the Trump administration revoked restrictions that limited AI chip sales to certain nations, paving the way for HUMAIN to procure U.S. chips without hindrance. This shift supports Saudi Arabia’s bid to become the leading AI economy in the Middle East. A PwC report suggests AI could contribute $130 billion to the Kingdom’s economy by 2030.
Moreover, Amazon Web Services has collaborated with HUMAIN to invest an additional $5 billion in AI. This partnership will establish an “AI Zone” in Saudi Arabia, further driving regional and global AI adoption.
