Nvidia, a leader in AI chip manufacturing, has strengthened its position by signing a strategic partnership with Humain, a new Saudi Arabian AI startup backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Under the agreement, Nvidia will deliver an initial batch of 18,000 GPUs based on its “Blackwell” architecture to Humain, with plans to supply hundreds of thousands more chips over the next five years.
The “Blackwell” GPUs deliver approximately four times the performance of Nvidia’s previous-generation Hopper H100 chips for mathematical computations and data-intensive tasks. This boost in speed and efficiency will significantly reduce both training time and energy consumption, enabling Humain to develop and deploy AI models more rapidly and cost-effectively.
As part of the collaboration, Humain will build hyperscale AI “factories” in Saudi Arabia totaling 500 megawatts of compute capacity. These facilities will integrate the full AI lifecycle—from model training to deployment—on a unified platform, playing a pivotal role in accelerating the Kingdom’s digital transformation under its Vision 2030 initiative.
The deal also reflects recent shifts in U.S. export policy for AI technologies. Despite earlier restrictions, Washington has begun easing exports of advanced AI chips to allied nations, including Saudi Arabia, signaling a new era of global cooperation in the AI ecosystem.
Beyond technology transfer, the Nvidia-Humain partnership will foster local talent development. The planned AI factories will include training programs and upskilling initiatives for hundreds of Saudi engineers, boosting professional expertise and driving regional technological innovation.
