Saudi Aramco Buys Stake in PIF’s AI Firm HUMAIN
▼ Summary
– PIF and Aramco signed a term sheet for Aramco to acquire a substantial minority stake in HUMAIN, with PIF retaining majority ownership.
– The partnership aims to scale HUMAIN’s AI operations to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a global AI leader and attract investment and talent.
– HUMAIN is developing full-stack AI capabilities, including data centers, AI models like ALLaM, and launched HUMAIN Chat, an Arabic conversational AI app.
– A strategic partnership with AWS involves over $5 billion to create an “AI Zone” in Saudi Arabia, leveraging AWS infrastructure and services.
– These initiatives support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by driving economic diversification, localizing technology, and advancing industrial AI applications.
A major strategic partnership is forming in the global artificial intelligence arena, as Saudi Aramco has agreed to acquire a substantial minority stake in HUMAIN, the prominent AI firm owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund. This landmark deal, outlined in a newly signed term sheet, aims to rapidly scale AI operations, attract international investment, and draw top-tier talent to the region. Both PIF and Aramco will contribute significant AI assets, specialized expertise, and skilled personnel to HUMAIN, with PIF retaining majority ownership of the company.
The collaboration is designed to accelerate HUMAIN’s expansion and solidify Saudi Arabia’s standing as a premier hub for advanced data and AI technologies. Yazeed Al-Humied, PIF’s Deputy Governor and Head of MENA Investments, emphasized that combining PIF and Aramco’s AI assets under HUMAIN will fuel talent development, innovation, and intellectual property creation. He noted this initiative is a core part of PIF’s strategy to position Saudi Arabia as a globally competitive AI center and place the nation at the forefront of reshaping the future of artificial intelligence worldwide.
Amin Nasser, President and CEO of Aramco, stated that the planned investment is expected to strengthen Aramco’s leadership in industrial AI applications and digital solutions. He highlighted that Aramco is uniquely positioned to leverage rising energy demand linked to AI expansion, using cutting-edge technologies to improve operational efficiency, reduce emissions, and maintain a competitive edge as a leading global energy and chemicals company. This move will also accelerate the development of the Kingdom’s overall AI infrastructure and support national economic transformation.
PIF is actively pursuing investments in AI partnerships and infrastructure as part of its broader mission to develop strategic sectors within Saudi Arabia and localize modern technologies. This drive is central to the Kingdom’s efforts to diversify its domestic economy. PIF’s strategy for the AI and digital economy leverages Saudi Arabia’s competitive market position through innovation and capacity building. Upon completion of the transaction, Aramco is expected to utilize HUMAIN’s AI infrastructure to convert advanced AI capabilities into practical industrial applications, thereby enhancing its global operational ecosystem.
Established in May 2025, HUMAIN is developing comprehensive, full-stack AI capabilities across four primary domains: next-generation data centers, hyper-performance infrastructure and cloud platforms, advanced AI models, including ALLAM, one of the world’s most powerful multimodal Arabic large language models, and transformative AI solutions. The recent integration of the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence, wholly owned by PIF, into HUMAIN has further amplified the company’s capabilities, aligning with PIF’s overarching AI and digital economy strategy.
The finalization of this transaction remains subject to the execution of definitive agreements, necessary regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.
In a significant step for Arabic-language AI, Saudi Arabia launched HUMAIN Chat in August 2025, a next-generation conversational AI application powered by ALLaM 34B, the Kingdom’s most advanced Arabic large language model. Developed by HUMAIN, this application marks considerable progress toward Saudi Arabia’s ambition of becoming a global leader in AI and digital innovation. Accessible via web, iOS, and Android, HUMAIN Chat debuted initially in Saudi Arabia, with plans for subsequent regional and global expansion. It was built by Saudi talent specifically to serve the Arabic-speaking world and the global Muslim population, which exceeds two billion people.
Further cementing its strategic direction, HUMAIN entered a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services in May 2025. Together, they plan to invest over $5 billion to develop a groundbreaking “AI Zone” within the Kingdom. This zone will integrate advanced capabilities, including dedicated AWS AI infrastructure, top-tier semiconductors, and UltraCluster networks to expedite AI training and inference. It will also incorporate AWS services such as Sagemaker and Bedrock, alongside AI applications like Amazon Q, all focused on advancing Saudi Arabia’s goal of achieving global AI leadership. This collaboration supports Saudi Vision 2030 and builds upon the Kingdom’s 2024 commitment to invest in an AI-powered economy. With Amazon Bedrock accessible in Saudi Arabia, local businesses and government entities can utilize leading AI models to build applications emphasizing security, privacy, and responsible AI practices.
(Source: Economy Middle East)
