Humain said its broader roadmap includes developing up to 1.9 gigawatts of AI-focused data center capacity by 2030
In sum – what you need to know:
Humain launches $10 billion AI fund – Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Humain Ventures will target global AI startups as part of the Kingdom’s broader push to become a global AI hub.
Data center buildout underway – Humain plans up to 6.6GW in AI data capacity by 2030, starting with a 50MW site using 18,000 Nvidia GPUs.
Major U.S. tech deals secured – Humain has signed $23 billion in agreements with Nvidia, AMD, AWS and Qualcomm.
Saudi Arabia’s artificial intelligence venture Humain, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is set to launch a $10 billion venture capital fund this summer, aiming to establish the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a central actor in the global AI field.
During a recent interview with the Financial Times, Humain’s Chairman Tareq Amin said that the fund, known as Humain Ventures, will target high-potential AI startups, enabling the Middle Eastern country to expand its influence in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy. The initiative also aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and supports goals set by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.
Humain’s broader roadmap includes developing up to 1.9 gigawatts (GW) of AI-focused data center capacity by 2030, with plans to scale to 6.6 GW over the next four years. A 50 MW pilot site using 18,000 Nvidia GPUs is already in development and is expected to be operational next year.
“Humain is seeking to use Saudi Arabia’s financial might to gain a central role in almost every aspect of the burgeoning AI industry — from investing, infrastructure and chip design. That sprawling strategy is unmatched outside a handful of U.S. and Chinese big tech companies, which have had years, if not decades, to build their businesses and technical expertise,” the company said in a statement.
“U.S. tech firms increasingly view Gulf states and their powerful sovereign wealth funds as critical sources of investment, with American tech executives in talks with regional officials about investments and raising capital,” it added.
Humain has rapidly established ties with leading American firms, signing $23 billion worth of agreements with Nvidia, AMD, Amazon Web Services and Qualcomm. According to Amin, the full project cost could reach $77 billion based on current valuations.
As part of its industrial strategy, Humain is forming a $10 billion joint venture with AMD to deliver 500MW in AI compute capacity over five years. In a separate $2 billion partnership with Qualcomm, the company will build a chipset design center in Riyadh employing 500 engineers.
The company aims to handle 7% of global AI model training by 2030, focusing on both model development and inferencing capabilities.
“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,” Amin said.
Humain is also in discussions with major U.S. players such as OpenAI, xAI and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz about potential equity partnerships.
“If you go and look at our suppliers, you’ll discover that we were deliberate on the partnerships and the choices that we have picked . . . we did not want to make mistakes,” he added.
Amin also stated that chip procurement from U.S. suppliers will begin within the next 30 days and added that he was confident that the initiative will gain support from the U.S. Government.
This development follows the recent announcement by the Trump adminstration to revoke a Biden-era regulation restricting AI chip sales to countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is expected to be the biggest AI economy in the Middle East. A PwC report estimates AI will contribute $130 billion to the Kingdom’s economy by 2030 — more than 40% of the region’s total projected AI value.
Earlier this month, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Humain have announced a major partnership to invest more than $5 billion in the field of AI.
The collaboration will help build a special “AI Zone” in Saudi Arabia and drive AI adoption across the region and the world.
