Saudi Arabia has announced a major leap in its quest to become a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI). The kingdom is committing $14.9 billion to AI and emerging technologies through partnerships with tech giants such as Google, Lenovo, and Alibaba. The announcement came during a tech conference held in Riyadh on February 9, 2025.
Saudi Minister Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha stated that the kingdom, in collaboration with global tech innovators, would invest in AI, emerging technologies, and cloud solutions. The tech partners also include Qualcomm, Groq, and Salesforce. This provides a significant boost to Saudi Arabia’s tech ambitions.
Ahmad Al-Khowaiter is the executive vice president of technology and innovation at Aramco. He highlighted the scale of the company’s operations and the necessity of partnerships to fulfill the potential of AI. “Our business is all about scale.
That’s why we need to partner, and no one company can deliver the promise of AI. It has to be a partnership, it has to be many companies that put in place the technologies that we need,” Al-Khowaiter said.
Saudi Arabia partners in tech innovation
As part of this ambitious plan, Aramco has partnered with Groq in a $1.5 billion initiative. The goal is to build AI-powered cloud computing capabilities. Aramco also intends to sign agreements with additional AI companies.
Saudi manufacturing giant Alat and Lenovo announced a $2 billion investment. They plan to establish a state-of-the-art AI and robotics-based manufacturing and technology facility locally. Alongside this, Lenovo will also set up a regional headquarters in Riyadh.
Moreover, global tech giants Google, Qualcomm, and Alibaba Cloud have launched various initiatives. These initiatives are aimed at fostering localized AI innovation. Further commitments include significant investments from Salesforce, Databricks, Tencent Cloud, and SambaNova.
These investments amount to $500 million, $300 million, $150 million, and $140 million, respectively. This comprehensive investment strategy underscores Saudi Arabia’s determination. The kingdom aims to diversify its economy and solidify its status as a leader in AI and emerging technologies in the Middle East.
