Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), has announced a strategic partnership with HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia’s newly formed AI-focused company, to invest over $5 billion in a groundbreaking “AI Zone” in the Kingdom.

The AI Zone, described as the first of its kind, is designed to support Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a global AI hub. It will include dedicated AWS infrastructure, world-class semiconductors, UltraCluster networks, and access to AI services such as Amazon Sagemaker, Amazon Bedrock, and Amazon Q.

The announcement follows AWS’s previous commitment to develop a cloud region in Saudi Arabia by 2026, with a separate investment of $5.3 billion (approximately SAR 19.88 billion). The newly revealed AI Zone will serve as an additional initiative aimed at expanding AI adoption both locally and globally.

The partnership supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which outlines the Kingdom’s strategy to build an AI-powered economy. AWS plans to deliver its advanced computing infrastructure and AI tools to support government and private sectors.

According to AWS, businesses in Saudi Arabia will be able to use services like Amazon Bedrock to access foundation models from top AI providers. Meanwhile, Amazon Q, described as a powerful generative AI coding assistant, will help organizations automate tasks, summarize content, and generate insights based on enterprise data.

HUMAIN is expected to play a central role in creating AI solutions with AWS technologies and will collaborate on building a unified AI agent marketplace for Saudi government use.

Furthermore, the initiative aims to support Arabic Large Language Models (ALLaM) and encourage widespread AI adoption across the Gulf region.

The collaboration is expected to benefit key Saudi sectors such as:

• Government: Improving productivity in administration
• Healthcare: Enabling early diagnosis through AI
• Education: Personalizing learning for students

His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said the collaboration would help “lay the foundation for the intelligent era” while accelerating innovation and talent development.

To support startups, AWS and HUMAIN plan to provide access to AWS Activate and other tools. AWS has previously supported over 330,000 startups globally. According to MAGNiTT, Saudi startups raised $750 million in 2024, the highest across MENA.

Matt Garman, CEO of AWS, stated that the partnership “reflects our commitment to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030” and would fuel innovation and economic growth.

Talent development is another key component. AWS is working with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to train 100,000 Saudi citizens in cloud and generative AI skills. Programs will be delivered through the Amazon Academy, launched in 2023 as the largest of its kind in the region.

In 2024, AWS also introduced a women-focused upskilling program in partnership with Skillsoft Global Knowledge. The initiative aims to train 10,000 women on AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials at no cost.

Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, said the partnership marks a “pivotal moment” for the Kingdom. He added that combining AWS’s global infrastructure with HUMAIN’s AI capabilities would attract international investment and talent.

Saudi Arabia is projected to gain the most from AI in the Middle East. A PwC report estimates AI will contribute $130 billion to the Saudi economy by 2030—over 40% of the region’s total AI value.

With nearly 70% of Middle East companies planning to migrate to the cloud within a year, the collaboration is seen as a major step in positioning Saudi Arabia at the center of AI-driven transformation.

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