Saudi Arabia designates 2026 as Year of Artificial Intelligence

Saudi Arabia has officially designated 2026 as the ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence,’ a strategic move under Vision 2030 to transition from a consumer of global software to a developer of sovereign digital infrastructure. Led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the initiative focuses on building localized model architectures, native tech talent, and robust compute power through projects like the Shaheen III supercomputer and the Hexagon Data Center.

In alignment with these national ambitions, Humain—an AI company backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF)—is assembling a specialized team to prepare for a potential initial public offering (IPO). Founded in May 2025, Humain aims for a dual listing on both the Saudi exchange and Nasdaq, likely around 2028 or 2029. The company, which has established partnerships with Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Google, is focusing on AI infrastructure and the development of Arabic-language models, such as ALLaM 34B.