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With Trillion-Dollar Investments and Cheap Energy, Saudi Arabia Bets on Artificial Intelligence to Replace Oil and Become a Global Power in Technology, Competing with the US and China.
Saudi Arabia, known for its vast oil reserves, seeks to change its role in the global economy. Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country is directing its trillions toward a new strategic resource: artificial intelligence. The goal is to transform the wealth accumulated from oil into technological power, positioning the kingdom among the largest digital powers on the planet.
According to a report by The New York Times, the Saudi project aims to transform the country into a global hub for digital infrastructure, concentrating mega data centers capable of meeting the growing demand from companies in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Humain: Saudi Arabia’s Arm for the Digital Revolution
At the center of this strategy is Humain, a state-owned company created by Prince Mohammed bin Salman and funded by the powerful Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which holds about US$ 1 trillion in assets. The company’s goal is ambitious: to process 6% of the entire global AI workload in the coming years — a significant difference from the less than 1% share that the country currently holds.
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“The aim is to create a national entity focused on the entire AI value chain,” stated Tareq Amin, CEO of Humain, to The New York Times.
This ambition translates into massive investments in infrastructure, research, and international partnerships. Among the agreements made are the US$ 5 billion invested by Amazon in data centers, in addition to contracts for the acquisition of chips from Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm — essential components for large-scale AI processing.
Cheap Energy and Mega Data Centers: The New Gold of the Desert
Saudi Arabia is heavily investing in clean and affordable energy to attract technology companies. The country offers electricity that is up to 40% cheaper than that of the US, a competitive advantage that could transform the kingdom into a preferred destination for global corporations needing high computational power.
Additionally, DataVolt, a partner in the project, has already begun constructing a massive data complex on the Red Sea coast, scheduled to be inaugurated in 2028. Together with the new facilities, the country aims to achieve 6.6 gigawatts of capacity by 2034 — equivalent to the energy of six nuclear power plants.
To increase multinational companies’ confidence, the government also plans to create “data embassy zones” that will follow the regulations of the countries of origin of the contracting companies. This measure aims to ensure legal security and protection of sensitive information, a crucial factor in attracting industry giants.
Between Washington and Beijing: The Geopolitical Game of AI
Despite the enthusiasm, Saudi Arabia’s path toward technological leadership faces political barriers and external dependence. The country still needs to import AI chips produced in the United States, which makes it vulnerable to tensions between Washington and Beijing.
During a visit to Riyadh in May 2025, former President Donald Trump authorized the sale of 18,000 chips from Nvidia to the country. However, the final clearance has not yet been completed, due to US concerns about the close relationship between the Saudi government and Chinese technology companies.
Nevertheless, the kingdom seeks to maintain a strategic balance. While strengthening partnerships with the Americans, it also invests in Chinese companies, such as DeepSeek, which uses data centers from the state oil company Aramco for its artificial intelligence projects.
“It’s easy to underestimate the level of ambition of the Saudis, but they may achieve more than many critics imagine,” assessed Vivek Chilukuri, a researcher at the Center for a New American Security.
AI as a New Source of Global Power
The transition of Saudi Arabia represents more than a mere market change: it is an economic and geopolitical reinvention. The country, which for decades built its influence based on oil, now seeks to export data, algorithms, and intelligent solutions.
With Humain and DataVolt, the kingdom is preparing a robust technological ecosystem capable of competing with innovation hubs in the United States, China, and the European Union. The billion-dollar investments and cheap energy turn the Arabian desert into a new digital oasis, where servers replace oil wells as a source of wealth.
Although the challenges are enormous — from dependence on foreign chips to diplomatic disputes — the Saudi project signals a historic shift: the transition from a fossil economy to a data economy, with oil and AI symbolizing two distinct eras of global power.
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