Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched HUMAIN, a new wholly owned company that will operate and invest across the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain as part of the kingdom’s ambitious push to become a global hub for AI and digital innovation.

The announcement was made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as Prime Minister and Chairman of the PIF Board of Directors. HUMAIN will function as a unified operating company, offering a wide range of AI services, products, and tools, including next-generation data centres, AI infrastructure and cloud solutions, as well as advanced AI models.

According to a PIF statement, HUMAIN will develop one of the world’s most powerful multimodal Arabic large language models (LLMs) and provide localised, regional, and global AI capabilities.

The company aims to enhance human potential and unlock new opportunities across the digital economy.

HUMAIN to streamline data centre initiatives

“The launch of HUMAIN marks a major milestone in the kingdom’s AI strategy,” the statement said. “The company will streamline national data centre initiatives, procure AI hardware, and accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies across strategic sectors including energy, healthcare, manufacturing and financial services.”

The initiative supports PIF’s broader strategy to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and build a globally competitive digital ecosystem. The Global AI Index 2024 recently ranked Saudi Arabia as the world’s leader in terms of government AI strategy.

Saudi Arabia’s geographic location — at the crossroads of three continents — combined with strong economic growth prospects and a tech-savvy youth population, positions the kingdom as a natural hub for large-scale data processing and AI development, PIF said.

PIF and its portfolio companies have already been investing in building AI infrastructure and forming international partnerships in the field. HUMAIN will further these efforts by fostering local innovation, enabling the creation of proprietary technology and intellectual property, and attracting top talent from around the world.

The company is expected to play a central role in helping Saudi Arabia achieve its national AI aspirations and establish itself as a global AI powerhouse.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has won the mayoral race in Davao City during the country’s midterm elections, showing his lasting influence in his hometown—even while being held by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Despite being detained on charges of crimes against humanity for his deadly war on drugs, the 80-year-old Duterte was expected to win by a wide margin. With 80 per cent of votes counted, unofficial results showed him leading the race with eight times more votes than his closest rival, a CNN report said.

Duterte, known for his tough stance on crime and nicknamed “Duterte Harry” and “The Punisher,” remains popular in the southern city where he built his political career.

Supporters celebrated his victory online, flooding his old Facebook account with congratulations. Some even called for his return home.

“Congratulations, Tatay D! Let’s bring him home,” one comment read, using a term of endearment meaning “father.”

Duterte was arrested in March and taken to The Hague. He may become the first former Asian head of state to face trial at the ICC. His supporters have called the arrest a “kidnapping” by a foreign court.

Duterte has defended his controversial drug crackdown. His legal team argues the arrest was illegal, while the ICC says it still has authority over alleged crimes committed before the Philippines left the court in 2019.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has invited companies, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the UAE, to participate in 116 tenders and auctions available until the end of 2025, in line with the emirate’s Public-Private Partnership Strategy 2024–2026.

The tenders span multiple sectors including services, consultancy, infrastructure, insurance, outsourcing, operations and maintenance, information technology, and investment, as part of RTA’s broader push to enhance collaboration with the private sector and develop innovative services and solutions.

The initiative also supports the objectives of RTA’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030, which prioritises improved operational efficiency and the expansion of strategic and investment projects that strengthen Dubai’s economy and boost the participation of national companies in the infrastructure and services space.

“RTA is firmly committed to strengthening partnerships with the private sector and creating commercial opportunities for both local and international companies,” said Abdulla Yousef Al Ali, CEO of the Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector at RTA. “We actively support Dubai’s business community through a range of incentive-driven initiatives, including recognition programmes that honour major companies demonstrating strong collaboration with SMEs.”

How companies can apply for the RTA tenders

Interested companies must meet specific qualification criteria accessible through RTA’s Electronic Prequalification System, available via the authority’s website.

The digital process is designed to ensure the attraction of top-tier firms, enable efficient project delivery, support national talent development, and contribute to economic growth.

RTA also offers a free electronic prequalification system through the same platform. Companies can register by creating a user account and uploading the necessary documents under the ‘Supplier and Investor Management System’ section of the website

A series of major road closures and heightened security measures have come into effect across Riyadh ahead of US President Donald Trump’s arrival in the Kingdom today.

The measures are part of preparations for a three-day Gulf visit by Trump, who is expected to attend a Saudi-US investment forum and a summit of Gulf leaders in the capital.

According to What’s On Saudi Arabia, the following areas will be affected by temporary closures or restricted access:

• King Salman Road and surrounding areas – partial or full closures

• Roads near the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre – heavy monitoring and possible restricted access

• West Riyadh, including the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ), major highways, and Diriyah – partial closures at entry and exit points

• At-Turaif in Diriyah – completely closed until Thursday, 15 May

• British International School Riyadh (DQ campus) – closed on Tuesday, 13 May, and Wednesday, 14 May

Motorists and residents have been advised to avoid these areas, particularly around the Diplomatic Quarter and central Riyadh, owing to expected disruptions and security convoys.

Trump’s itinerary

The visit marks Trump’s first official foreign trip since returning to the White House in January. He is set to attend a high-level investment forum on Tuesday in Riyadh, alongside BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Palantir’s Alex Karp, and senior leaders from Citigroup, IBM, Qualcomm, Alphabet, and others.

Elon Musk is also reportedly part of the delegation.

Read more: Trump jets into Saudi, UAE and Qatar with trillion-dollar investment ambitions

On Wednesday, he will participate in a summit of Gulf leaders before flying to Qatar and concluding the visit in the UAE on Thursday, 15 May.

US President Donald Trump will arrive in Saudi Arabia today to kick off a four-day swing through the Gulf region.

With a who’s who of powerful American business leaders in tow, including Tesla CEO and Trump advisor Elon Musk, Trump will first visit Riyadh – where the Saudi-US Investment Forum is taking place – and continue to Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Trump has also said he may travel on Thursday to Turkey for potential face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump’s second foreign trip since taking office again – his first was to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral – comes during a moment of geopolitical tension. In addition to pressing for a settlement to the war in Ukraine, the Trump administration is pushing for a new aid mechanism for Gaza and urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a new ceasefire deal there.

Over the weekend, US and Iranian negotiators met in Oman to discuss a potential deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

But – potential Turkey side trip aside – those matters are not the focus of Trump’s Middle East swing as it is currently scheduled.

The US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are expected to announce potentially trillions in investments. Saudi Arabia already committed in January to $600bn in investments in the US over the next four years, but Trump has said he will ask for a full trillion.

In addition to Musk, business leaders including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser will make the trip.

Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel with the president.

During the Riyadh stop, Trump is expected to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth well over $100bn, sources told Reuters, which could include a range of advanced weapons including C-130 transport aircraft.

Trump’s second and third stops – in Qatar and the UAE, respectively – are similarly expected to focus on economic issues.