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RIYADH: The new Saudi-made Arabic artificial intelligence large language model launched by PIF-backed Humain represents a “transformative leap” for the technology, the firm’s deputy CEO has told Arab News.

Yasser Al-Onaizan, also Humain’s president for data and AI models, told Arab News how the ALLAM 34B large language model was built on the largest known Arab language dataset.

The ALLAM chat is Humain’s first application in its AI suite and is powered by an Arabic model called ALLAM 34B. It is built in ����ֱ�� by Saudis and was launched at an event in Riyadh on Tuesday.  

“We are confident that ����ֱ�� is taking all the necessary steps to become a global AI powerhouse, and Humain is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation. Our vision aligns strategically with the Kingdom’s ambitious national strategy, where we’re not just participants, but we are actively shaping the future of AI,” Al-Onaizan said.

ALLAM was independently ranked as the world’s most advanced Arabic-first AI model. While powering Arabic chat for customers, the model also has applications for enterprise, government services and financial systems.

“Built on over 500 billion Arabic tokens and supported by hundreds of domain experts, ALLAM delivers a truly bilingual AI system that maintains cultural authenticity while meeting the demands of both everyday users and enterprise applications,” Al-Onaizan said. 

Building the platform presented a unique set of challenges for developers, including a scarcity of high-quality Arabic training data. 

“However,” said Al-Onaizan, “we’ve turned this challenge into an opportunity through our innovative approach to data curation and governance, which was a ‘built from scratch’ solution.”

The company has established rigorous data collection and validation processes, which Al-Onaizan says ensures that training meets quality standards.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched Humain in May. The artificial intelligence company was launched to develop Arabic large language models and establish the Kingdom as a global hub for AI innovation and leadership. 

Backed by the Public Investment Fund, Humain will operate across the entire AI value chain as an integrated technology firm, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have forecast thunderstorms followed by moderate to heavy rainfall across the Kingdom, with the inclement weather expected to last until Monday.

The National Center for Meteorology has forecast moderate to heavy thunderstorms, leading to flash floods and accompanied by hail and dust-stirring winds in parts of the regions of Najran, Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha, Makkah, and Madinah.

Light to moderate rain is expected in parts of Eastern Province, Riyadh, Hail, and Qassim, with the chance of fog forming over the southwestern highlands in these areas.

The General Directorate of Civil Defense has issued inclement weather warnings along with safety instructions as the Kingdom braces for moderate to heavy rainfall.

It has called for caution as thunderstorms are expected to continue across most parts of the Kingdom until Monday.

The directorate advised the public to avoid valleys and flood-prone areas, and urged adherence to all official instructions and warnings broadcast through media and social media channels.

Wind speeds over the Red Sea will be northwesterly to northerly at speeds of up to 55 kph.

In the Arabian Gulf, winds will be southeasterly to northeasterly at speeds of up to 30 kph. The sea is expected to be relatively calm in that area, the NCM said.