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Javier Alvarez

August 07, 2025 21:39

Artificial intelligence has become a high-stakes global race that everyone is watching closely. But far from merely leading the race, ����ֱ�� has set out to help design the racetrack.

While most countries are debating regulations and scrambling for compute, the Kingdom is building a vertically integrated AI engine at an unprecedented scale, from sovereign data centers and large chips procurement deals to venture capital and large language models.

����ֱ�� is executing a top down play to become a global force in AI. And it is moving fast.

AI is more than algorithms. The critical groundwork lies in digital infrastructure, reliable data, regulatory alignment, and talent. ����ֱ�� understands this better than most, and is moving with intent to shape the global AI landscape.

At the center of this strategy is Humain, the newly launched state-owned infrastructure titan, with multi-gigawatt ambitions, hundreds of thousands of chip orders, and partnerships spanning NVDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm.

Complemented by an additional $10 billion in venture capital, the Kingdom is committed to scalability. It offers abundant and low-cost energy for AI compute, making the entire AI system not only viable but globally competitive.

In addition to projects with Google Cloud and Groq’s new Riyadh region, Humain aims to become one of the world’s largest AI infrastructure providers. Its first phase includes scaling capacity to support 6.6GW by 2034, including 18,000 Nvidia Blackwell chips.

Humain represents more than its tens of billions of dollars of investments; it signals to the AI world what few countries can claim: intent backed by execution at scale.

AI is nothing without digital infrastructure. High-performance computing centers, specialized data hubs, fiber deployments, and energy-efficient hardware are the foundation on which this technology thrives.

����ֱ�� recognizes this and is backing ambitions with one of the most aggressive infrastructure buildouts globally.

If AI infrastructure is the engine, data is the fuel. Indeed, the quality of it determines how far you can go. The more relevant and robust the datasets, the sharper and more contextually aware the AI.

Unlike countries that use foreign cloud providers for data storage and processing outside their borders, ����ֱ�� is treating data as a sovereign asset, where it should remain under national domains.

Owning specialized and well-structured data means owning your future in AI. It is a simple, yet powerful, formula: Proprietary data equals competitive advantage.

AI is more than algorithms. The critical groundwork lies in digital infrastructure, reliable data, regulatory alignment, and talent. ����ֱ�� understands this better than most.

Javier Alvarez

A bank that uses its own transactional data to train an AI fraud detection tool will always outperform one using general, third-party datasets. This is the kind of edge the Kingdom is building into its national and business-level frameworks.

Through upcoming legislation, AI companies will be regulated under the laws of their country of origin — an ambitious attempt to balance openness with compliance and trust.

This data strategy is not isolated from the infrastructure, which in ����ֱ�� will give clients full visibility on how their data is used and processed in real time. Transparency by design is ����ֱ��’s approach through a globalized world of data scrutiny and regulation.

����ֱ��’s AI efforts are not solely focused on servers, chips, and top-notch infrastructure, but are also about shaping the future workforce and their skills.

Initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and major partnerships with global tech leaders are helping to build talent pipelines that match the scale of infrastructure investments.

One of the key challenges remains the global shortage of skilled AI professionals. Education initiatives in Saudi universities are a long-term fix, but for now, the Kingdom will have to continue attracting world-class tech talent.

The UAE ranks higher in AI talent attraction globally, but ����ֱ�� is rapidly narrowing the gap.

����ֱ��’s focus on creating locally trained models in Arabic like ALLaM is a strategic move to avoid reliance on AI systems that do not represent regional cultures or languages accurately.

By owning the regulation process and embedding an AI framework that prioritizes transparency and ethical considerations, the Kingdom ensures that AI adoption comes with accountability and responsibility for all its stakeholders.

The global AI race is heating up, yes, and the path to leadership is paved by smart, steady, and strategic decisions.

����ֱ��’s investments in infrastructure, data sovereignty, clear regulation, and education initiatives are the foundation stones for what could become one of the most advanced AI ecosystems in the world.

• Javier Alvarez is senior managing director & technology head for the Middle East at FTI Delta