Saudi Arabia is making a bold play to become a global artificial intelligence powerhouse with the launch of Humain, a state-owned AI company that’s already secured $23 billion worth of deals with major US tech firms and plans to launch a massive $10 billion venture capital fund this summer.
The ambitious project, backed by the kingdom’s $940 billion Public Investment Fund, represents one of the most comprehensive efforts outside of Silicon Valley and China to build an AI empire from the ground up.
Humain’s CEO Tareq Amin says the company is currently in discussions with heavyweight American tech companies including OpenAI, Elon Musk’s xAI, and venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz.
“We are in discussions with all of them,” Amin revealed during his first interview since Humain’s launch this month. “Some of them, which you will hear about very soon, are massive names in the data centre segment.”
The timing couldn’t be more strategic. Humain was unveiled just before President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Riyadh, where he was accompanied by tech industry titans including Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang.
This high-profile diplomatic moment underscored the growing partnership between Saudi Arabia and American tech companies.
Building AI Infrastructure at Record Speed
Humain’s plans are nothing short of extraordinary. The company aims to establish 1.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2030, expanding to 6.6 gigawatts by 2034. To put this in perspective, this would create one of the world’s largest AI infrastructure projects, with an estimated cost of $77 billion at current market rates.
The first phase will begin with a 50-megawatt facility using 18,000 Nvidia chips, which the company hopes to bring online next year. Plans call for expanding this to 500 megawatts in phases, requiring approximately 180,000 chips.
For comparison, Musk’s “Colossus” AI cluster for xAI uses 100,000 Nvidia GPUs, while the first US “Stargate” data center is expected to house 400,000 of Nvidia’s latest GB200 chips.
Amin, a 52-year-old Jordanian-American who previously led Aramco Digital, is taking an aggressive approach. “The world is hungry for capacity,” he explains. “There are two paths you could take: you take it slow, and we are definitely not taking it slow, or you go fast. Whoever reaches the end line first, I think, is going to secure a good chunk of the market share.”
Major Tech Partnerships Taking Shape
The company has already inked significant deals with American tech giants. Beyond the Nvidia partnership, Humain has signed a $10 billion joint venture with AMD to supply 500 megawatts of capacity over five years.
A separate $2 billion investment with Qualcomm will develop data centers and chip design capabilities in Saudi Arabia, including a chipset design center in Riyadh that will employ 500 engineers.
These partnerships reflect Saudi Arabia’s deliberate strategy to align with US companies rather than Chinese alternatives, partly to address American policymakers’ concerns about technology transfer to China. “The importance of the US ecosystem is very critical,” Amin noted. “We were deliberate on the partnerships and the choices that we have picked.”
Venture Capital Ambitions
The upcoming Humain Ventures fund will target startups across the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia with its $10 billion war chest. This venture capital arm represents another prong in Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive AI strategy, which spans investing, infrastructure, and chip design.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who chairs Humain and serves as the kingdom’s de facto leader, has positioned AI as central to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification efforts away from oil dependency. The goal is ambitious: by 2030, Humain wants to be processing 7 percent of global AI “training” and “inferencing” – the development of AI models and their responses to user requests.
Addressing Regulatory Concerns of AI
To attract international clients, Humain is taking steps to address privacy and security concerns. The company plans to offer “real-time inventory” capabilities, allowing customers to instantly audit how their information is being used and processed.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia is expected to pass legislation that would regulate data centers under the laws of the country where the AI company originates.
The kingdom is also leveraging its natural advantages, offering subsidies on electricity prices that are already among the world’s lowest to attract data center operations.
These massive investments come as Saudi Arabia faces lower oil prices and manages multiple expensive megaprojects simultaneously. However, AI remains a top priority for the government and the Public Investment Fund.
Cornered on whether cheaper oil might impact Humain’s budget, Amin posed an incisive question: “Can you afford as a country to miss the opportunity?”
As the leaders in technology pursue investment by Gulf sovereign wealth funds, Humain of Saudi Arabia provides a fascinating case study of how money and strategic partnerships can rapidly establish a new global AI hub outside the established hubs of Silicon Valley and China.
