loader

Saudi Arabia and Google Cloud Establish Advanced AI Hub

AI hub collaboration between PIF and Google Cloud

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has partnered with Google Cloud to establish a new global Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub near Dammam, in the Eastern Province. Announced during the Future Investment Initiative 8th Edition (FII8), this landmark collaboration aims to position Saudi Arabia as a leading AI destination for both local and global enterprises.

H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, stated, ‘This partnership demonstrates PIF’s dedication to fostering an AI-friendly environment through investments in human capital and technology, upskilling thousands with cutting-edge tools to support our sustainable and innovative infrastructure goals.’ Notably, Saudi Arabia is seen as a prime location for international tech collaborations.

Under this partnership, businesses will leverage Google Cloud’s technology to enhance growth across various sectors, aiming for faster delivery of high-quality AI applications and data services.

Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, emphasized that ‘This strategic partnership will accelerate adoption of AI in the local language and across industries.’ The collaboration is expected to lead to significant advancements in healthcare, retail, financial services, among others.

Joint research initiatives will focus on developing Arabic language models and AI applications specific to Saudi needs, enhancing capabilities within Google’s generative AI model family.

Furthermore, the collaborative effort anticipates adding around $71 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP over the next eight years, creating numerous high-skilled job opportunities and bolstering the ICT sector by 50 percent.

With ongoing advancements, the partnership stands to revolutionize the technological landscape of Saudi Arabia, capitalizing on its strategic vision for the future.