AWS, HUMAIN to launch $5bn AI Zone in Saudi Arabia

Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Saudi Arabia’s state-backed AI company HUMAIN  announced a strategic partnership to develop a first-of-its-kind “AI Zone” in the kingdom, backed by a joint investment exceeding $5bn.

The new AI Zone, aimed at accelerating AI adoption locally and globally, will include dedicated AWS AI infrastructure, UltraCluster networks, and services such as Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Sagemaker, and Amazon Q.

The initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.

The partnership builds on AWS’s previously announced $5.3bn investment to establish a cloud infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia by 2026.

The AI Zone marks an additional commitment to expand cloud and AI capabilities in the region.

“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,” said Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

As part of the partnership, HUMAIN will utilise AWS technologies to deliver AI solutions for customers and co-develop a unified AI agent marketplace to simplify AI deployment across government services.

Building LLMs

The two entities also plan to develop large language models (LLMs), including Arabic-focused models, to support AI adoption in key sectors such as healthcare, education, energy, and government.

“This collaboration to build an AI Zone in Saudi Arabia will enable innovations across all industries using AWS’s advanced AI offerings,” said Matt Garman, CEO of AWS. “Together, we will empower customers with cost-effective and secure cloud technologies, fuel innovation and economic growth across the nation, and enable HUMAIN to appeal to customers globally.”

The initiative includes the establishment of a Generative AI Innovation Center, in partnership with HUMAIN, to fast-track generative AI (genAI) adoption for startups, enterprises, and public institutions.

AWS-HUMAIN alliance to spur startup growth

The partnership will also bolster Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem. AWS will provide startups access to cloud tools and resources, including AWS Activate. The kingdom saw a record $750m in venture capital funding in 2024, the highest in the Middle East and North Africa, according to MAGNiTT.

AWS is also expanding its training and certification programs to build AI and cloud expertise among Saudi nationals. It has committed to training 100,000 citizens, including 10,000 women, through initiatives such as the Amazon Academy and the AWS Saudi Arabia Women’s Skills Initiative.

“By leveraging AWS’s world-class cloud infrastructure and AI expertise and HUMAIN’s full-stack AI capabilities, we are creating an offering that will attract global investment and talent,” said Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN.

According to PwC, AI is expected to contribute $130bn to Saudi Arabia’s economy by 2030 — over 40 per cent of the projected AI economic impact in the Middle East.

Read: HUMAIN, NVIDIA join forces to drive AI development in Saudi Arabia