RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to become a technology powerhouse in the Middle East, with the Kingdom already having a comprehensive and structured ecosystem to drive growth in advanced sectors such as artificial intelligence, experts told Arab News.
The comments come against the backdrop of the Saudi cabinet’s decision in March to declare 2026 the Year of AI, underscoring the Kingdom’s accelerating technological transformation and positioning it as a key lever for economic diversification.
Central to that strategy is Humain, an artificial intelligence company launched in 2025 to support local innovation, develop intellectual property, and attract global AI talent and investment.
Raymond Khoury, partner and public sector practice lead at Arthur D. Little Middle East, said: “At its core sits Humain, emerging as the national AI powerhouse across infrastructure, applications, and sector enablement. Humain has the potential to function as the execution engine of AI deployment, providing the compute backbone, platforms, and solutions that translate strategy into real-world impact.”
Earlier in 2026, Humain invested $3 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI shortly before the startup merged with SpaceX. It also agreed on a financing framework worth up to $1.2 billion with Saudi Arabia’s National Infrastructure Fund to expand AI and digital infrastructure in the Kingdom.
