Article contents:
- Introduction: From black oil to digital data
- Humain’s ambition: The world’s third-largest AI provider
- Significant challenges ahead: Environment, talent, and competition
- The talent gap: Can money alone attract minds?
- Strategic partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and Groq
- Massive infrastructure: Building 11 data centers
- Conclusion: A major Saudi bet on the future of artificial intelligence
Introduction: From black oil to digital data
Saudi Arabia is looking to make data its “new oil,” and if the artificial intelligence and data center company Humain succeeds, that goal may become a reality. Owned by Saudi Arabia’s massive Public Investment Fund, the company seeks to build massive data center capabilities in a country blessed with vast land and abundant energy resources. Facing lower oil prices and the staggering costs of massive domestic projects like NEOM, the kingdom hopes that soaring demand for data and computing facilities will provide a reliable source of revenue for decades to come.
Humain’s ambition: The world’s third-largest AI provider
Tareq Amin, CEO of Humain, told CNBC: “Our ambition is very clear. We want to be the third-largest AI provider in the world, behind the United States and China.” Launched in May of this year, the company aims to deliver comprehensive artificial intelligence capabilities across data centers, infrastructure, and cloud platforms, positioning the kingdom as the region’s AI hub.
Significant challenges ahead: Environment, talent, and competition
Despite its lofty ambitions, Humain faces formidable hurdles. First, there is fierce competition from neighboring the United Arab Emirates, which is forging ahead with major partnerships with U.S. tech giants. Second, questions remain about the cost and environmental impact of running and cooling miles of data centers in the scorching Middle Eastern desert. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the ability to attract AI engineers to live and work in Saudi Arabia.
The talent gap: Can money alone attract minds?
Access to skills and talent remains a major challenge. The kingdom relies heavily on foreign talent, which commands high salaries and often does not stay in the country for long. Even with generous compensation packages, attracting and retaining AI engineers will be difficult. AI-related jobs in Saudi Arabia remain largely vacant, with a 50% hiring gap, according to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.
Strategic partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and Groq
To achieve its ambitions, Humain has inked multibillion-dollar strategic partnerships. The company announced $23 billion for technology partnerships and a $10 billion investment fund. Among these partnerships, Groq, a California-based AI firm, secured a $1.5 billion commitment from the kingdom to scale up the delivery of its chips. Humain has also partnered with U.S. chip giants AMD and Nvidia to supply the silicon needed for its ambitious data center rollout.
Massive infrastructure: Building 11 data centers
The PIF-backed company has already broken ground on two major campuses in the kingdom consisting of 11 data centers. Each data center will feature a 200-megawatt capacity. By the fourth quarter of 2025, Humain wants to build 50 megawatts, followed by an additional 50 megawatts every quarter through 2026. By 2030, the company targets 1.9 gigawatts of capacity, scaling to six gigawatts by 2034. These figures reflect the sheer scale of investment the kingdom is pouring into the sector.
Conclusion: A major Saudi bet on the future of artificial intelligence
The Humain project represents a massive bet by Saudi Arabia that the future of the global economy lies in data and artificial intelligence. The kingdom possesses the financial resources, land, and energy required to build world-class infrastructure. However, ultimate success will hinge on its ability to overcome environmental challenges and, crucially, build a talent ecosystem capable of running that infrastructure and innovating on top of it. Will the kingdom successfully turn its vision into reality? Only time will tell.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is Humain?
A: It is a new Saudi company specializing in artificial intelligence and data centers, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
Q: What is the company’s main goal?
A: Humain aims to make Saudi Arabia the third-largest AI provider in the world, behind the United States and China, serving as a regional technology hub.
Q: What are its biggest obstacles?
A: Key obstacles include competition from the UAE, the environmental challenges of cooling data centers in the desert, a shortage of local AI talent, and the difficulty of attracting and retaining foreign talent.
