عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Humain, Cohere Launch Strategic Partnership to Expand AI Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia

Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

Humain, Cohere Launch Strategic Partnership to Expand AI Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia

Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Logo of the Saudi company Humain (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Humain, the company building an integrated artificial intelligence ecosystem, and Canadian sovereign AI company Cohere have announced a strategic partnership to develop AI computing infrastructure and support the development of sovereign AI models and enterprise AI solutions in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement was announced during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the Kingdom, marking Cohere’s first international expansion outside North America.

Under the partnership, Humain will allocate at least 50 megawatts of AI-dedicated computing capacity to support the next generation of foundation models being developed by Cohere.

The capacity may be expanded over the next five years in line with growing demand, with the infrastructure scheduled to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2027.

The collaboration also includes the development of customized AI solutions for enterprises, sovereign Arabic-language models, and specialized models for various economic sectors, supporting the secure adoption of AI applications across the Kingdom.

Humain Chief Executive Officer Tareq Amin said access to computing capacity will be the defining factor in the future of artificial intelligence.

He added that Cohere’s decision to establish its first large-scale international computing deployment in Saudi Arabia reflects the strength of the infrastructure Humain is developing to support advanced AI research and foundation models.

For his part, Aidan Gomez, Cohere’s co-founder and chief executive officer, said developing new generations of AI models requires sustained access to high-performance computing.

He added that the partnership with Humain provides the infrastructure and flexibility needed to support the company’s long-term strategy, while also enabling collaboration on sovereign AI models and initiatives that will benefit both Saudi Arabia and global markets.

The partnership aims to combine Humain’s AI infrastructure with Cohere’s expertise in developing large language models, strengthening regional AI computing capabilities and creating a scalable platform to meet growing demand for enterprise AI solutions.

It also seeks to enable organizations to deploy secure, production-ready AI applications tailored to business needs.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Hyundai Motor to Roll Out In-House Driver-Assist System in 2029

The logo of Hyundai Motor India Limited is seen outside a car showroom, in Ahmedabad, India, October 7, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of Hyundai Motor India Limited is seen outside a car showroom, in Ahmedabad, India, October 7, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Hyundai Motor to Roll Out In-House Driver-Assist System in 2029

The logo of Hyundai Motor India Limited is seen outside a car showroom, in Ahmedabad, India, October 7, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of Hyundai Motor India Limited is seen outside a car showroom, in Ahmedabad, India, October 7, 2024. (Reuters)

Hyundai Motor Group ‌will launch vehicles equipped with its proprietary driver-assistance software in late 2029, two years later than planned, turning to Nvidia in the interim to accelerate deployment.

The South Korean automaker will partner with the US chipmaker to roll out advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), known as Level 2+ and Level 2++, in 2028, a Hyundai executive said.

The shift underscores the challenges Hyundai faces in developing automated driving software in-house, a project originally slated for a late-2027 debut, while raising concerns over its deepening reliance on Nvidia.

The delay has fuelled worries that the automaker could ‌fall further behind Tesla ‌and Chinese rivals in the race to commercialise ‌vehicle ⁠autonomy.

"Our partnership with ⁠Nvidia is not about leaving our destiny entirely in their hands," Park Min-woo, a president at Hyundai Motor Group, told a media briefing.

Park said Hyundai will co-design the technology with Nvidia and use the data from the system to train and refine its own software platform, dubbed Atria.

Park, a former Nvidia executive who joined Hyundai in January, ⁠has spearheaded the automaker's deepening ties with the chipmaker. ‌His strategy marks a shift ‌from that of his predecessor, Song Chang-hyeon, who focused heavily on internal software development ‌before his abrupt departure in December.

Hyundai vehicles powered by ‌Nvidia's Hyperion 10 platform will initially bypass expensive lidar sensors in favour of cameras, ultrasonic sensors and a radar, Park said.

However, Hyundai is considering lidar for its Level 3 automated systems, which allow hands-off driving under specific conditions.

"To ‌truly ensure safety, we believe sensor redundancy is critical: if one sensor fails, others must be able ⁠to maintain safe ⁠operation," Park said, without providing a timeline for Level 3 commercialisation.

Hyundai and affiliate Kia Corp, which together rank as the world's third-largest automaker with annual sales exceeding 7 million vehicles, plan to use their global fleet scale to harvest data to train their autonomous driving technology, Park said. Hyundai said it expects to surpass competitors in accumulated driving data by 2033.

Hyundai Motor Group is deepening collaboration with Nvidia spanning autonomous driving, artificial intelligence data centers and humanoid robots developed by Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics.

"Level 2+" generally refers to more capable driver-assistance systems that work on highways, while "Level 2++" systems can handle more complex urban driving, similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving system. Both still require driver supervision.

Business

S&P Global Ratings Affirms Saudi Arabia Credit Rating at A+ with Stable Outlook

An aerial view of the Financial District in Riyadh (SPA)
An aerial view of the Financial District in Riyadh (SPA)
TT
TT

S&P Global Ratings Affirms Saudi Arabia Credit Rating at A+ with Stable Outlook

An aerial view of the Financial District in Riyadh (SPA)
An aerial view of the Financial District in Riyadh (SPA)

Credit rating agency S&P Global affirmed Saudi Arabia's credit rating at A+ with a stable outlook, according to its latest report.

It stated that the stable outlook reflects its view that Saudi Arabia will be able to withstand pressures stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict.

This takes into account the Kingdom's diversified energy export infrastructure, including its ability to redirect crude oil exports to the Red Sea through the East-West oil pipeline, as well as its substantial oil storage and refining capacity both domestically and abroad.

The agency also noted that the stable outlook reflects continued non-oil growth momentum and associated non-oil revenue, together with the government's ability to calibrate investment expenditure linked to Saudi Vision 2030, which should continue to support the economy and fiscal trajectory.

Despite the conflict, non-oil activity has remained reasonably resilient, supported by consumer spending.

S&P expects real GDP to contract by 0.9% in 2026 before rebounding sharply by 8.2% in 2027, supported by an increase in oil production, and to average 3.3% in 2028-2029.

The non-oil sector, including government activities, now accounts for about 70% of GDP, up from 65% in 2018, reflecting continued structural progress in economic diversification.

The agency further highlighted Saudi Arabia's substantial net general government asset position as a key strength and noted that foreign-exchange reserves reached their highest level since early 2020.

It stated that the ongoing recalibration of Saudi Vision 2030 project implementation should support fiscal resilience. S&P also expects the Kingdom to continue adopting a prudent and flexible approach in this regard, having stressed its commitment to achieving Saudi Vision 2030 goals without jeopardizing public finances.

The agency noted that ongoing structural reforms will remain important in supporting non-oil growth.

Business

CEER to Reveal First Flagship Vehicles in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 21

A glimpse of the car's design that CEER aims to launch later this September (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A glimpse of the car's design that CEER aims to launch later this September (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

CEER to Reveal First Flagship Vehicles in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 21

A glimpse of the car's design that CEER aims to launch later this September (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A glimpse of the car's design that CEER aims to launch later this September (Asharq Al-Awsat)

CEER, Saudi Arabia's first automotive company and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), has announced the reveal date of the world premiere of its first flagship vehicles, an electric sedan and SUV, on September 21.

Friday’s announcement reflects the Kingdom’s strategic direction toward developing an advanced industrial sector aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position on the global automotive industry map.

“At the beginning of this year, we said that 2026 is the year of CEER. I am happy to announce that we’ve set the date for the reveal of our first flagship vehicles,” said CEO of CEER James DeLuca.

“The world is about to witness a historic moment, the result of an incredible journey from initial design and intensive engineering to the buildup of one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world, in record time.”

CEER was created as a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund and Foxconn. It is the only company in Saudi Arabia to design, engineer, source, validate, manufacture, and soon sell and service a portfolio of aspirational vehicles.

CEER is positioned to be a key enabler of Saudi Arabia's industrial transformation (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Since its inception in 2022, CEER has been focused on building a diverse mix of Saudi talent and global experts that had grown from 20 employees to 2,300; securing key partnerships with renowned international partners including BMW, Hyundai Transys, Rimac, Siemens, Sabelt, Isoclima, ANDRITZ Schuler, Dürr, XYG, Lear, Benteler, Fangxin, Shin Young, JVIS, as well as leading local companies including Zamil Group, Abdul Latiff Jameel Group and APICO (Balubaid Group) that are driving the target of reaching 45% local content by 2034; building one of the most advanced manufacturing complexes in the world; and designing, engineering and testing vehicles that are tailor-made to the specific requirements of Saudi Arabia and the region.

CEER is positioned to be a key enabler of Saudi Arabia's industrial transformation, creating lasting economic impact and supporting the Kingdom's diversification ambitions under Vision 2030.

CEER is projected to contribute $8 billion (around SAR30 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s GDP, $21 billion (around SAR80 billion) to trade balance improvement, and create approximately 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, with 80% of direct jobs held by Saudis. CEER supports the Saudi Green Initiative target of Net-Zero emissions in Saudi Arabia by 2060.