Nvidia and AMD Strike Major AI Deals in Saudi Arabia
Several leading US technology firms such as Qualcomm, Nvidia and AMD announced artificial intelligence (AI) partnerships in the Middle East on Tuesday. These deals coincided with former President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour, during which he secured $600 billion in investment commitments from Saudi Arabia for US companies.
Nvidia and AMD Lead AI Expansion into the Gulf
One of the most significant announcements came from Nvidia, which will supply hundreds of thousands of its advanced AI chips to Saudi Arabia. The first batch of 18,000 “Blackwell” chips will be delivered to Humain, a new AI firm launched by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also revealed a substantial collaboration with Humain, worth up to $10 billion. The agreement focuses on building 500 megawatts of AI hardware infrastructure over the next five years. AMD will provide CPUs, GPUs and orchestration software, ensuring Humain’s AI platform is robust and vendor-diverse.
According to AMD executive Keith Strier, the aim is to help Humain develop a next-generation AI cloud platform. AMD CEO Lisa Su added that the collaboration will offer “performance, openness and reach at unprecedented levels.”
Qualcomm, Google and Oracle Join Strategic Push
Qualcomm signed a memorandum of understanding with Humain to develop a central processor for data centres. The firm had previously acquired CPU maker Nuvia in 2021 but has yet to launch a commercial product.
Other companies also participating in the AI initiative include Alphabet’s Google, Oracle, Salesforce, and Uber. These firms, along with AMD and DataVolt, will invest $80 billion in transformative technologies across the US and Saudi Arabia, the White House said, though specific details were not disclosed.
DataVolt, a Saudi company, will invest $20 billion in AI data centres and energy infrastructure in the US.
Saudi Arabia Aims to Become a Global AI Hub
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched Humain with the goal of making the kingdom a centre for global AI development. Humain plans to offer services including data centres, AI infrastructure, and advanced AI models.
Humain CEO Tareq Amin described the initiative as foundational. “You need the infrastructure to build an AI company,” he said during a forum in Riyadh.
Nvidia and Humain will use Nvidia’s platforms to develop AI factories with up to 500 megawatts of capacity. These facilities will house the country’s supply of Nvidia’s most powerful GPUs, positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in digital transformation and GPU-based cloud computing.
Trump’s tour, focused on economic agreements, will continue with visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The New York Times recently reported that the US is close to approving large-scale AI chip sales to the UAE, further deepening AI collaboration in the region.
with inputs from Reuters
