Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm Gain Spotlight in Saudi-Backed AI Infrastructure Push

Aug 26 - Saudi Arabia's new artificial intelligence firm, Humain, is moving ahead with plans to build large-scale data centers in the kingdom, a development that could benefit U.S. chipmakers. CEO Tareq Amin said construction is underway in Riyadh and Dammam, with both facilities expected to open in early 2026. Each site will begin with about 100 megawatts of capacity.

Humain has secured approval in Saudi Arabia to purchase 18,000 of Nvidia's NVDA latest AI chips, although the deal still requires clearance from U.S. regulators. The company is also working with Advanced Micro Devices AMD under a $10 billion agreement signed earlier this year to expand AI infrastructure. That deal may evolve into a joint venture, giving AMD a potential equity position in a Saudi fund.

Beyond chips, Humain is partnering with Groq Inc., a California AI startup, to power its new chatbot, Humain Chat, now live in Saudi Arabia and set to expand across the Middle East by October. Other partners include Qualcomm QCOM and Cisco Systems CSCO. The firm has also discussed possible collaborations with Elon Musk's xAI.

Backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, Humain aims to deploy 1.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2030, positioning the kingdom as a regional AI hub.