Saudi Arabia Launches HUMAIN to Drive AI Growth & Arabic Language Innovation

Saudi Arabia is taking bold steps to lead in artificial intelligence (AI) by launching a new company, HUMAIN. Backed by the country’s powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF), HUMAIN is set to become a major force in AI development, especially for Arabic-speaking regions.

HUMAIN: Saudi Arabia’s New AI Powerhouse

HUMAIN was officially launched by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The goal is to build AI technology that supports national development and strengthens the Kingdom’s role in the global tech scene. HUMAIN will focus on creating Arabic-language large language models (LLMs), building modern data centers, and supporting cloud infrastructure based in Saudi Arabia.

By developing AI that understands Arabic culture, language, and context, HUMAIN aims to fill a gap left by Western-developed models, introducing AI that thinks in Arabic.

To power this vision, HUMAIN is building high-performance data centers with up to 500 megawatts of capacity. These centers will house over 18,000 advanced AI chips from NVIDIA, one of the world’s top AI hardware companies. These chips are designed for training and running large, complex AI systems. This places Saudi Arabia among a small group of nations capable of building sovereign AI models at scale, especially ones that focus on underrepresented languages like Arabic.

AI Growth Aligned With Vision 2030

The launch of HUMAIN supports the broader goals of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s plan to diversify its economy beyond oil. AI is one of the key industries identified for growth. The PIF is using its financial power to turn Saudi Arabia into a hub for data, computing power, and AI research.

Other projects, such as an AI and cloud hub being developed with Google Cloud in the Eastern Province, show how serious Saudi Arabia is about becoming a regional leader in technology and innovation.

Why HUMAIN Matters

For years, Arabic speakers have used AI tools that weren’t built with their language or culture in mind. HUMAIN changes that. By building Arabic-first models and infrastructure within Saudi Arabia, the country is taking control of its AI future. The launch aligns with growing interest from US tech giants in the Gulf, drawn by cheap energy and land. Companies like Salesforce, which is planning a $500 million AI investment in Saudi Arabia, and Scale AI, backed by Amazon, are establishing a local presence. The PIF, managing $940 billion in assets and projected to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to monitoring organization Global SWF, has become a key partner for firms like Google in AI-related ventures.

This isn’t more than just a tech project. It’s a national investment in language, identity, and digital independence.