AWS and HUMAIN Partner to Launch $5 Billion AI Zone in Saudi Arabia, Fueling National AI Leadership
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has made a strategic partnership with HUMAIN, the recently formed AI-focused Saudi subsidiary, to invest more than $5 billion in the establishment of the AI Zone in the Kingdom. This move will propel the future development of artificial intelligence in Saudi Arabia, making the kingdom a world leader in AI and digital transformation.
A Bold Step Towards AI Innovation
The new AI Zone will leverage AWS's leading infrastructure and state-of-the-art AI technologies, such as Amazon SageMaker, Amazon Bedrock, and Amazon Q.
It will have top-of-the-line AI servers, UltraCluster networks, and latest-generation semiconductors to drive AI training and inference to help Saudi Arabia achieve its goal of becoming a global leader in AI by 2030.
The initial stage of the AI Zone involves the establishment of cutting-edge data centres which will be the secure base upon which sovereign models of AI are developed, providing businesses and Saudi Arabian government bodies with the potential to scale up AI applications on high performance as well as high security.
The collaboration will use the AI Zone to drive AI-powered solutions across sectors like government, energy, healthcare, and education, supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
It aims to personalize learning, improve disease diagnosis, and boost government efficiency, while fostering the development of Arabic Large Language Models (ALLaM) and accelerating AI adoption across the Gulf region.
Empowering Saudi Talent and Entrepreneurs
AWS and HUMAIN are committed to accelerating talent development as part of this partnership. The two companies plan to train 100,000 Saudi citizens in cloud computing and generative AI (genAI), aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals of workforce development and digital transformation. This will be achieved through AWS Academy, which offers free transformative training and certifications for Saudi youth, entrepreneurs, and professionals.
In addition, AWS’s Saudi Arabia Women’s Skills Initiative, launched in 2024, will empower 10,000 women by providing training on AWS cloud technologies, enabling them to join the tech workforce.
Building a Thriving AI Ecosystem
The AWS-HUMAIN collaboration aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem by providing AI tools and support through programs like AWS Activate.
With over $750 million in VC funding raised by Saudi startups in 2024, the partnership will further drive innovation, using the AI Zone to position the Kingdom as a regional AI and innovation hub.
Also read: Trump Announces $600 Billion US-Saudi Economic Deal, Focuses on AI, Defense, and Infrastructure
Commitment to Sustainable AI Growth
AWS and HUMAIN's collaboration is centered on driving responsible AI and digital transformation in Saudi Arabia, with emphasis on data privacy, security, ethical AI, and sustainable and energy-efficient technologies.
His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said, “We thank AWS for doubling down on their long-term partnership with the Kingdom. This new collaboration with HUMAIN lays the foundation for the intelligent era, accelerates our innovation momentum, grows our talent, and reinforces Saudi Arabia’s position as a global partner of choice in the age of AI.”
Saudi Arabia's new AI Zone is a big move towards making Saudi Arabia a world leader in AI, with AI expected to contribute $130 billion to its economy by 2030, accounting for a significant portion of the Middle East's $320 billion AI market potential.
