Nvidia is branching towards the middle east in a big way. The chip giant is partnering with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund-owned AI startup Humain. The partnership was announced on Tuesday as part of the kingdom’s plans to develop artificial intelligence and strengthen cloud computing infrastructure with the help of foreign investment.
“AI, like electricity and internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia.
Humain is a Saudi Arabian artificial intelligence company launched in 2024 and fully owned by the kingdom’s $940 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF). Chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Humain is central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy and become a global leader in AI. The company aims to develop cutting-edge AI models, including Arabic-language systems, and build advanced digital infrastructure such as data centers.
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One of Humain’s key moves is a strategic partnership with U.S. tech giant Nvidia to enhance the kingdom’s AI capabilities, particularly in GPU cloud computing. Humain is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader $100 billion “Project Transcendence,” which includes other major AI investments and collaborations. These initiatives underscore the country’s ambition to treat AI as a national utility—on par with electricity and the internet—and to position itself at the forefront of global AI development and innovation.
The announcement coincides with the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour, where he signed a strategic economic agreement with Saudi Arabia as the oil power rolled out the red carpet for him at the start of a tour of Gulf states aimed at drumming up trillions of dollars in investments.
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The partnership between Nvidia and Saudi Arabia’s Humain signals a major boost for the global chip and AI industries. It means increased demand for Nvidia’s high-performance GPUs, which are essential for powering advanced AI systems and cloud computing infrastructure.
For the AI sector, it highlights a growing trend of nations investing heavily in local AI capabilities, using global tech leaders to accelerate development. This collaboration could expand Nvidia’s influence in emerging markets, while helping Saudi Arabia build a strong AI ecosystem. Overall, it reflects how AI and semiconductor companies are becoming central to national economic and technological strategies.