Riyadh’s new AI venture aims to position the Kingdom as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – On 12 May 2025, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of HUMAIN, a new artificial intelligence company under the Public Investment Fund (PIF). This initiative underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a global hub for AI innovation and development.
HUMAIN is set to operate across the entire AI value chain, offering services ranging from next-generation data centres and cloud infrastructure to advanced AI models. Notably, the company plans to develop one of the world’s most powerful multimodal Arabic large language models (LLMs), aiming to enhance AI capabilities in the Arabic-speaking world.
The establishment of HUMAIN aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a strategic framework to diversify the nation’s economy beyond oil. By investing in cutting-edge technologies, the Kingdom seeks to foster innovation, create employment opportunities, and attract global talent and investment.
The launch coincides with the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, attended by prominent figures such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg. The forum aims to strengthen economic ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States, with a focus on sectors like AI, energy, and manufacturing.
Saudi Arabia’s efforts in AI have not gone unnoticed. The Global AI Index, published in 2024, ranked the Kingdom first globally in terms of government AI strategy, reflecting its proactive approach to AI policy and investment.
Source: Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia
