KEY FACTS: Saudi Arabia has announced a $14.9 billion investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, unveiled at the LEAP 2025 Tech Conference in Riyadh. This includes major partnerships with Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Groq, and Salesforce, among others, to enhance the kingdom’s AI and cloud infrastructure. Aramco has secured a $1.5 billion deal with Groq to expand AI-powered cloud capabilities, while Salesforce plans a $500 million investment, including Arabic-language AI support. These investments is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its economy and establish itself as a regional tech hub.

Source: Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Unveils $14.9 Billion AI and Cloud Investment

In a significant move to position itself as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, Saudi Arabia has unveiled a series of investments and partnerships totaling $14.9 billion. Announced during the LEAP 2025 Tech Conference in Riyadh, these initiatives underscore the kingdom's commitment to becoming a regional hub for emerging technologies.

The Saudi government, under the leadership of Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha, has entered into partnerships with several global technology leaders. These collaborations aim to bolster the nation's AI and cloud infrastructure. Key partnerships include: Google Cloud, Lenovo, Alibaba Cloud, Qualcomm, Groq, and Salesforce.

Google Cloud, in collaboration with Saudi authorities, plans to establish advanced cloud infrastructure within the kingdom, enhancing data storage and processing capabilities. On its part, Lenovo is partnering with Saudi manufacturing giant Alat, committing to a $2 billion investment to develop an advanced AI and robotics-based manufacturing and technology facility. As part of this agreement, Lenovo will also establish its regional headquarters in Riyadh.

The cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, Alibaba Cloud, has announced initiatives to support localized AI innovation, contributing to the Saudi kingdom's technological advancement. The semiconductor giant, Qualcomm, is set to launch programs aimed at fostering AI development within Saudi Arabia, focusing on cutting-edge research and applications.

Groq, an AI chip startup, is committing a notable $1.5 billion deal, in collaboration with Saudi Aramco to build AI-powered cloud computing capabilities. This partnership aims to enhance the kingdom's computational infrastructure, supporting various AI applications. Salesforce, oit's part has announced a $500 million investment in AI-related initiatives in Saudi Arabia. This includes the introduction of Hyperforce, Salesforce's platform architecture developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services, and partnerships with firms like Capgemini, Deloitte, Globant, IBM, and PwC to expand the use of its customer service product, Agentforce. Additionally, Salesforce will provide Arabic language support for its AI product suite.

Source: Spa_Eng

Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, Executive Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Aramco, has emphasized the importance of partnerships in realizing AI's potential. He stated this:

"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."

Aramco, ranked as the seventh-largest company globally by market capitalization, is actively seeking collaborations to integrate AI into its operations, in order to enhance efficiency and innovation.

Beyond the major partnerships, Saudi Arabia has attracted a range of investments aimed at strengthening its technological ecosystem, including Databricks, Tencent Cloud, and SambaNova.

Databricks committed $300 million to support AI and data analytics initiatives within the Saudi kingdom. Tencent Cloud announced a $150 million investment to establish cloud services and support AI-driven projects. SambaNova has dedicated $140 million to advance AI research and development in collaboration with Saudi institutions.

These investments are strategic and align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a comprehensive plan to diversify the nation's economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues. The Saudi kingdom aims to create a sustainable and knowledge-based economy by fostering innovation and embracing emerging technologies. Minister Alswaha highlighted the significance of these developments, stating that the kingdom, in partnership with global tech innovators, is investing $14.9 billion in AI, emerging technologies, and cloud infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia's ambitious investments and strategic partnerships in AI and cloud computing could position the kingdom to become a central hub for AI in the region, in order to drive economic diversification and sustainable growth.

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