Zain said the partnership will utilize Cisco’s end-to-end AI infrastructure technologies to help the carrier scale high-performance GPU-powered services across the country
In sum – what to know:
Zain and Cisco team up on Saudi AI infrastructure – The two firms have signed an MoU to develop GPU-as-a-Service and end-to-end AI infrastructure in support of Vision 2030.
AI push to support digital transformation – The partnership aims to power secure, scalable AI workloads across sectors and create new commercial use cases and services.
Upskilling local talent for AI future – The agreement also includes plans for AI training programs to build long-term national ICT and AI capabilities.
Saudi carrier Zain KSA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with U.S. networking company Cisco to jointly develop advanced AI infrastructure and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) solutions in Saudi Arabia.
In a release, the Arab carrier noted that the partnership will utilize Cisco’s end-to-end AI infrastructure technologies to help Zain KSA scale secure and high-performance GPU-powered services across the country. The telco also stated that the move supports its efforts to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by fostering digital innovation and positioning the country as a global technology hub.
Under the terms of the agreement, Zain KSA will bring its regional market knowledge and investment capacity to the collaboration, while Cisco will provide AI-ready infrastructure expertise. The companies also plan to co-develop new AI solutions and business models for enterprise and government adoption.
Additionally, the agreement outlines potential cooperation on training initiatives to boost local talent in the ICT and AI fields, aligning with national workforce development goals.
Fahad Sahmi Al Sahmah, VP of B2B sales at Zain KSA, said: “At Zain KSA, we are mobilizing all our capabilities and investments to drive nationwide digital innovation, positioning the Kingdom as a global hub, a digital economy powered by future-looking GenAI solutions and applications. This strategic collaboration with Cisco, positions us well to explore, develop, and innovate use cases, as we continue building a resilient, integrated and agile digital ecosystem that can embrace next-gen technologies and deploy them in the Kingdom.”
Zayan Sadek, managing director for service providers at Cisco Middle East, Türkiye and Africa, added: “Cisco is excited to collaborate with Zain KSA to pave the way for a transformative AI-powered future in Saudi Arabia. By combining Zain KSA’s digital expertise with Cisco’s cutting-edge AI infrastructure technologies, we aim to unlock new possibilities to empower businesses to thrive in the AI era and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for advanced technologies.”
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Humain — a new Saudi company leading AI development in the country — previously 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.
AWS noted that this new AI Zone will feature cutting-edge AWS infrastructure, including high-performance servers, advanced semiconductors and UltraCluster networking to speed up AI training and inference. It will also offer AWS services like SageMaker, Bedrock and Amazon Q, which help organizations build and run generative AI (genAI) applications.
This initiative builds on AWS’s previously announced $5.3 billion investment to launch a new AWS infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia by 2026. The AI Zone is aimed at expanding the use of advanced AI in Saudi Arabia and supporting the country’s Vision 2030 plan to become a global leader in technology.
Humain will use AWS technology to create AI solutions for its clients. The two companies also plan to build a shared marketplace for AI software, making it easier for government agencies to find and use AI tools. Together, they will support the growth of Large Language Models (LLMs), including Arabic-focused versions, and help bring AI into all areas of Saudi life.
