31 October 2024, Thu |
4:14 PM
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Google Cloud have announced a groundbreaking partnership to establish a global artificial intelligence (AI) hub near Dammam in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Signed at the Future Investment Initiative 8th Edition (FII8), this landmark deal strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global AI hub, attracting enterprises and startups from around the world.
This strategic collaboration aims to accelerate the growth of Saudi Arabia’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector by 50% and empower the local workforce through extensive AI training for millions of students and professionals. Through Google Cloud’s advanced technology, customers in Saudi Arabia will gain greater access to AI applications, driving growth across industries with faster, higher-quality AI solutions delivered locally.
The partnership will also involve joint research on Arabic-language models and AI applications tailored to the Saudi market. Powered by Google Cloud’s cutting-edge silicon technology, the hub will feature Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) accelerators, along with the Vertex AI platform, Google Cloud’s specialized development environment for building generative AI applications.
Enhanced AI Opportunities for Local and Global Enterprises
The AI hub reflects Saudi Arabia’s attractiveness for major tech investments, leveraging its strategic position at the intersection of three continents and its access to reliable renewable energy sources. H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, emphasized the significance of this partnership in advancing the nation’s sustainable and innovative infrastructure goals, saying, “Saudi Arabia is a prime location for global tech partners, and PIF is committed to fostering an AI-friendly environment through substantial investments in human capital and technology.”
Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, remarked, “This strategic partnership will accelerate AI adoption in Saudi Arabia and beyond, creating highly-skilled jobs for Saudis and expanding opportunities for global businesses to drive growth through cloud technology.”
Advancing Arabic Language AI and Economic Growth
In a move to enhance Arabic-language AI capabilities, PIF and Google Cloud will work to expand the Gemini AI model family by incorporating additional Arabic datasets. This will provide local businesses, researchers, and developers with tools to create sophisticated Arabic language AI applications.
Research by Access Partnership, commissioned by Google Cloud, estimates the AI hub could contribute $71 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP over the next eight years, creating thousands of highly skilled jobs as AI adoption scales across industries.
This investment further builds on Google Cloud’s presence in Saudi Arabia, complementing the Dammam cloud region launched last year, which is part of Google Cloud’s extensive global network of 40 regions. This collaboration underlines PIF’s commitment to technology as a priority sector, supporting economic transformation across healthcare, finance, logistics, and other key areas.
