Saudi Arabia’s AI ambitions have received a major boost as Aramco and PIF join forces to accelerate HUMAIN’s global expansion, with plans to deploy 3GW of data centre capacity by 2030.
Aramco has acquired a 49% stake in AI company HUMAIN in a deal involving approximately SAR 9.9 billion ($2.6 billion) in cash contributions.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Aramco announced the completion of the transaction, under which Aramco, through a wholly owned subsidiary, takes a 49% stake in HUMAIN, while PIF retains majority ownership with 51%.
The partnership is expected to accelerate HUMAIN’s global expansion, bringing together the AI assets, technological capabilities and talent of two of Saudi Arabia’s most powerful institutions.
The deal will strengthen HUMAIN’s ambition to build a globally competitive, integrated AI ecosystem covering the entire technology value chain — from data centres and high-performance computing to advanced AI models, applications and industry-specific solutions.
A key part of the company's expansion strategy is developing up to 3 gigawatts of AI data centre capacity by 2030, positioning HUMAIN to capitalise on surging demand for AI computing power across regional and international markets.
The transaction also reinforces Saudi Arabia’s broader push to become a major global player in data and artificial intelligence by attracting investment, developing advanced technologies and building a strong domestic talent base.
For PIF, the partnership aligns with its 2026-2030 strategy, which focuses on strengthening integration across economic sectors, expanding private-sector participation and transforming national companies into globally competitive businesses.
Yazeed A. Al-Humied, Deputy Governor and Head of MENA Investments at PIF, said: “Bringing PIF and Aramco’s AI portfolio of investments together under HUMAIN creates a powerful synergy that fuels talent growth, technological advancement, and intellectual property creation. Fully aligned with PIF’s strategic objectives, this transaction accelerates HUMAIN’s growth into a global leader in the sector, strengthening AI as an enabler of PIF’s six ecosystems and further expanding private sector participation across our portfolio while advancing the development of cutting-edge technologies in Saudi Arabia.”
The partnership also opens up significant opportunities for Aramco to integrate advanced AI technologies into its industrial operations, while monetising its existing digital and AI investments.
Aramco and its affiliates are expected to leverage HUMAIN’s infrastructure and services to develop and deploy AI applications across their operations. The company sees the partnership as an opportunity to generate additional revenue, secure attractive margins and strengthen its technology capabilities beyond its core energy business.
Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser said: “The HUMAIN deal is very important to Aramco, building on the company’s long track record of innovation and technology. We are proud of our achieved progress in developing and deploying advanced digital and AI technologies to enhance performance across the oil and gas sectors.
"Since 2023, Aramco has achieved $11.3 billion in Technology Realized Value, with a significant portion coming from AI solutions. This partnership with PIF strengthens Aramco’s position as a global technology leader and AI powerhouse, while laying the foundation for localizing the AI industry and enabling faster, more integrated, and scalable deployment of AI systems. AI will therefore play a vital role in the future of business. We are delighted to collaborate with PIF to help shape the future of AI regionally and globally.”
Under the transaction, Aramco will contribute approximately SAR 9.9 billion ($2.6 billion) in cash to HUMAIN during 2026, alongside AI, computing and digital assets.
Launched in May 2025, HUMAIN is developing an integrated AI business spanning four key areas: next-generation data centres, high-performance computing infrastructure and cloud platforms, advanced AI models, and AI-powered solutions.
Its portfolio includes ALLaM, a multimodal Arabic large language model (LLM) designed to strengthen Arabic-language AI capabilities.
With plans to deploy 3 gigawatts of AI data centre capacity by 2030, HUMAIN is rapidly expanding its infrastructure to meet the accelerating demand for AI computing power.
