Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Google Cloud have announced a strategic partnership to establish a global artificial intelligence (AI) hub near Dammam in the Eastern Province. Launched during the 8th Future Investment Initiative (FII8), this collaboration positions Saudi Arabia as a key center for AI advancement, supporting enterprises and startups both domestically and globally.
The AI hub aims to equip millions of students and professionals with skills through comprehensive AI programs, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision to expand the information and communication technology (ICT) sector by 50%. Leveraging Google Cloud’s cutting-edge technology, the initiative is expected to drive industry-wide growth and improve the availability of AI-powered applications.
The partnership, which is subject to regulatory approvals, will focus on joint research projects including Arabic language models tailored to the Saudi market, with Google Cloud investing in advanced computing resources such as tensor processing units (TPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) through its Vertex AI platform.
PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan emphasized the fund’s commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s AI ecosystem, stating, “This partnership highlights our dedication to fostering an AI-friendly environment through investments in human capital and technology. Saudi Arabia offers an ideal platform for global tech partnerships, combining local expertise with long-term investment strategy.”
Ruth Porat, Alphabet and Google’s President and Chief Investment Officer, underlined the collaboration’s transformative potential, noting, “Our goal is to accelerate AI adoption across industries including healthcare, retail, and financial services, while creating skilled jobs for Saudis and opportunities for global businesses embracing cloud technology.”
PIF regards technology as a vital economic driver across sectors such as healthcare, entertainment, and logistics. Additionally, the partnership will enhance Arabic language capabilities in Google’s generative AI model, Gemini, integrating additional Arabic datasets to enrich the platform’s capabilities.
A recent Access Partnership study projects that the AI hub could boost Saudi Arabia’s GDP by as much as $71 billion over the next eight years, creating thousands of skilled roles as the nation strengthens its foothold in AI technology. This venture expands on Google Cloud’s presence in the region, including the Dammam cloud region launched last year as part of its global network of 40 regions.
