On a recent Middle Eastern tour, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a series of deals with Saudi Arabia that are said to be worth over $1 trillion – though that number might be a bit of an exaggeration. Central to these agreements is the drive to boost artificial intelligence (AI), marked by the launch of Humain, a new company under the Kingdom’s state investment firm. Humain is set to develop robust Arabic language models for more than 450 million Arabic speakers around the globe.
This initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to become a top AI hub while reducing its reliance on oil. The country’s public investments in AI have reportedly surpassed those of both the U.S. and China, with more than $40 billion allocated for the next decade. Key partnerships, such as a collaboration with NVIDIA for advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) in local data centres and a $5 billion venture with Amazon Web Services, are bolstering these efforts.
Alongside these technological leaps, projects like The Line are already benefiting from AI’s role in optimising urban traffic and energy efficiency. A 2022 Ipsos survey revealed that 76% of Saudi adults view AI as a positive force – a sharp contrast to the 52% global average. Yet, these advancements are shadowed by serious concerns. The Kingdom’s strict restrictions on political and civil freedoms, highlighted by incidents such as the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of digital surveillance, raise questions about the potential for AI to reinforce authoritarian control. A 2024 study by political scientist Nayera Mohamed Hamed Ibrahim even described AI as part of a “digital authoritarian toolset.”
Ultimately, while Saudi Arabia is paving its way to becoming an influential player in AI, it also faces the challenging task of balancing technological progress with human rights issues. If you’ve ever grappled with the push and pull between innovation and privacy, you’ll understand the complexities at play here.
