Saudi Arabia wants to be world's third-largest AI provider after the U.S. and China, Humain CEO says

Saudi Arabia is gearing up to transform its economy by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, with the data center company Humain at the forefront of this initiative. Backed by the Public Investment Fund, the kingdom's extensive sovereign wealth fund, Humain plans to expand its data center capabilities in a nation rich in land and energy resources. In light of declining oil prices and rising expenses associated with large-scale projects like the futuristic Neom region, Saudi Arabia sees a promising future in the burgeoning demand for data and computing facilities. Tareq Amin, the CEO of Humain, expressed the company’s clear ambition: to become the world's third-largest AI provider, following the United States and China. Amin shared these insights during an interview with CNBC's Access Middle East. Founded in May, just a day before a significant visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to the kingdom, Humain seeks to offer comprehensive AI solutions spanning data centers, infrastructure, cloud services, and advanced AI models. Such developments are aimed at establishing Saudi Arabia as a central hub for AI within the region. While Humain has not publicly detailed its investment goals, it has earmarked $23 billion for strategic technological collaborations and a $10 billion venture fund. The Public Investment Fund, which oversees nearly $1 trillion in assets across various sectors globally, is focused on investments that align with its vision of joint intellectual property creation and localizing workload consumption in Saudi Arabia. Amin highlighted the importance of investing in infrastructure, referencing collaborations with companies like Groq, which recently received a $1.5 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia to enhance its chip delivery capabilities. Groq has also established what it claims to be the largest AI inference cluster in the region. Additionally, Humain is collaborating with prominent U.S. chip manufacturers AMD and Nvidia to support its extensive data center construction plans. Construction has already begun on two major campuses in the kingdom, consisting of 11 data centers, each designed to handle a capacity of 200 megawatts. The company aims to have 50 megawatts operational by the end of 2025, with plans for additional capacity expansion into 2026. By 2030, Humain targets an ambitious installation of 1.9 gigawatts, scaling up to six gigawatts by 2034. The competition is fierce, especially from the United Arab Emirates, which is advancing its own AI initiatives, including the $500 billion Stargate Project in Abu Dhabi. Challenges remain regarding the costs and environmental implications of operating extensive data centers in the extreme heat of the Middle East, as well as attracting AI talent to settle in Saudi Arabia. Despite these hurdles, the kingdom is poised to make significant strides in the global AI landscape.