Nvidia & Humain: Building AI Data Centres in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, in its mission to establish itself as a regional technology hub, has now taken a significant step forward with the announcement that Humain, the AI subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, will partner with Nvidia to develop data centres with up to 500 megawatts (MW) of capacity over a five-year period.
An initiative of this scale represents a substantial investment in AI infrastructure as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme, which aims to diversify the nation's offerings.
The partnership also comes at a time when access to computing resources has become increasingly competitive globally, with advanced AI chips in particularly short supply. AI data centres have been put forward as a solution to the demand problem – but this does not come without sustainability challenges.
Nvidia GB200 technology drives forward AI infrastructure development
The first phase of the project will see the deployment of an 18,000-unit Nvidia GB300 Grace Blackwell AI supercomputer utilising Nvidia InfiniBand networking technology.
InfiniBand provides the high-throughput, low-latency connections necessary for complex AI workloads in high-performance computing environments.
The full implementation plans to incorporate several hundred thousand Nvidia GPUs across multiple facilities, creating what both companies describe as “AI factories” capable of training and deploying sovereign AI models.
“AI, like electricity and the internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation,” says Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia. “Together with Humain, we are building AI infrastructure for the people and companies of Saudi Arabia to realise the bold vision of the Kingdom.”
Saudi Arabia’s move follows similar investments from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, with the nation perhaps eager to establish itself as an AI leader in the Middle East.
Building future-leading AI applications
Beyond hardware deployment, the partnership includes implementation of the Nvidia Omniverse platform as a multi-tenant system. This technology enables different 3D design tools to work within a shared virtual environment, supporting what the companies term “physical AI” applications.
These applications combine AI with robotics and simulation capabilities to create digital twins – virtual replicas of physical environments that can be used to optimise operations, particularly within the data centre.
With this technology, both companies plan to target sectors including manufacturing, logistics and energy.
Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, explains: “This collaboration with Humain marks a turning point, building the AI factories of the future, unlocking compute and powering the next era of physical AI.”
The investment perhaps reflects a growing recognition that AI infrastructure has become a critical national asset much like utilities. For Saudi Arabia, the move aligns with broader initiatives to establish technology leadership beyond its traditional dominance in the energy sector.
“Our partnership with Nvidia is a bold step forward in realising the Kingdom's ambitions to lead in AI and advanced digital infrastructure,” says Tareq Amin, CEO of Humain. “Together, we are building the capacity, capability and a new globally enabled community to shape a future powered by intelligent technology and empowered people.”
These AI-ready data centres aim to provide computing resources not only for government initiatives, but also for commercial applications across various sectors of the Saudi economy. Infrastructure of this scale is expected to attract technology companies seeking to develop AI applications for the Middle Eastern market.
Abdullah adds: “This lays the groundwork for a new industrial revolution, anchored in advanced infrastructure, talent and global ambition. This is how Saudi Arabia continues to lead as a partner of choice in shaping the future of AI.”
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