US set to approve first advanced AI chip sales to Saudi Arabia’s Humain

• Should the deal move forward, it stands to benefit global semiconductor giants including Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), which have sought greater access to the fast-growing Middle East AI market?
• Humain is targeting deployment of up to 400,000 AI chips by 2030, with an expected short-term spend of around $50b on semiconductors.
  
  The United States is poised to authorise the first sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips to the Saudi AI company Humain, in what would mark a significant win for the state-backed venture and a milestone in US–Saudi technology cooperation.

The approvals are expected as part of a broader AI collaboration agreement between Washington and Riyadh, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The deal, potentially finalised this week, comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday to advance the partnership.

President Trump confirmed the ongoing negotiations, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “We are working on that,” and noted the agreement would involve “certain levels of chips.” Market sources estimate the initial approvals may amount to tens of thousands of semiconductors, although official figures have not been disclosed.

Security concerns

US authorities have closely monitored semiconductor exports to Saudi Arabia since 2023 amid global concerns over AI hardware ending up in China.

The proposed arrangement includes explicit security conditions and follows assurances from Riyadh that it would restrict AI chip dealings with Beijing—with the head of the Saudi AI investment fund publicly committing to divest from China if asked by the US.

Humain CEO Tareq Amin stated the company had pledged not to procure hardware from Huawei Technologies, China’s AI leader, to meet US requirements.

Should the deal move forward, it stands to benefit global semiconductor giants including Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), which have sought greater access to the fast-growing Middle East AI market. Humain is targeting deployment of up to 400,000 AI chips by 2030, with an expected short-term spend of around $50 billion on semiconductors, according to the crown prince.
Humain, whose board is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed, represents a central pillar of Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion push into artificial intelligence. Launched earlier this year at Trump’s visit to the kingdom, Humain has rapidly emerged as a focal point for Saudi ambitions to become a global AI powerhouse.

In October, energy major Saudi Aramco signed a nonbinding term sheet for a significant minority stake in the venture.

Geopolitical rivals

The company is building toward 6.6 gigawatts of computing power—approaching the scale of OpenAI’s Stargate infrastructure in the US—and has introduced products such as an Arabic-language chatbot and a proprietary operating system. Humain’s pitch to global partners emphasises the cost advantages of Saudi Arabia’s abundant, inexpensive energy to power massive data centres.

Since 2022, the US has imposed strict export curbs to prevent sensitive AI technology from reaching China, extending these controls in 2023 to countries deemed possible conduits for Beijing.

The new US–Saudi deal is interpreted as a signal to both domestic industry and geopolitical rivals that Washington remains committed to championing American technology partnerships in the Middle East, following months of negotiation and assurances from the Saudi side.

Further details, including the final volume of approved exports and the specific terms attached to security and re-export restrictions, have not been made public.

“AI is critical for us to keep the Saudi economy growing,” Crown Prince Mohammed said at the White House. The kingdom is investing heavily to meet soaring demand for computing power, seeking to secure its place at the forefront of global AI development.