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Saudi KAUST Partners with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, Toyota to Advance Zero-Carbon Fuel Cell Technologies

The collaboration aims to support the Kingdom's decarbonization efforts across the transportation sector and beyond, contributing to the national goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2060. (SPA)
The collaboration aims to support the Kingdom's decarbonization efforts across the transportation sector and beyond, contributing to the national goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2060. (SPA)
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Saudi KAUST Partners with Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, Toyota to Advance Zero-Carbon Fuel Cell Technologies

The collaboration aims to support the Kingdom's decarbonization efforts across the transportation sector and beyond, contributing to the national goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2060. (SPA)
The collaboration aims to support the Kingdom's decarbonization efforts across the transportation sector and beyond, contributing to the national goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2060. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) have embarked on a strategic partnership to advance hydrogen fuel cell research in Saudi Arabia.

The collaboration aims to support the Kingdom's decarbonization efforts across the transportation sector and beyond, contributing to the national goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2060.

As a centerpiece of this partnership, KAUST has acquired Proton Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell modules from TMC, establishing a state-of-the-art laboratory at KAUST under its Clean Energy Research Platform (CERP) dedicated to advancing this cutting-edge technology, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

The facility will be at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's efforts to lead in hydrogen innovation, particularly in tailoring fuel cells to the region's unique environmental conditions.

Professor Mani Sarathy, from KAUST's Physical Science and Engineering Division, said: “At KAUST, we are excited to collaborate with TMC and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors to drive the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology in Saudi Arabia, aligning with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and net-zero goals for 2060.”

“Through our Clean Energy Research Platform (CERP), we are focused on advancing research that will optimize hydrogen fuel cells for the region's specific conditions, ensuring their efficiency and reliability. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to pioneering innovations that support sustainable solutions and contribute to a greener future for Saudi Arabia and beyond,” he said.

Sarathy and his team at CERP are currently leading research efforts to explore the performance, durability, and environmental integration of PEM fuel cells, supported technically and financially by TMC and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors.

The team is conducting a series of modeling and experimental studies to assess factors such as temperature sensitivity, humidity impact, and overall efficiency, with the goal of maximizing the environmental benefits of these fuel cells within the Kingdom's infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia, with its vast renewable energy resources, is well-positioned to produce both green hydrogen and blue hydrogen using Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology. With this in mind, the Kingdom aims to produce approximately 2.9 million tons of hydrogen by 2030, with competitive costs for both domestic use and export.

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Technology

Report: Nvidia Nears Deal for Scaled-down Investment in OpenAI

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted that the AI chip powerhouse is committed to a big investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted that the AI chip powerhouse is committed to a big investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
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Report: Nvidia Nears Deal for Scaled-down Investment in OpenAI

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted that the AI chip powerhouse is committed to a big investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted that the AI chip powerhouse is committed to a big investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP

Nvidia is on the cusp of investing $30 billion in OpenAI, scaling back a plan to pump $100 billion into the ChatGPT maker, the Financial Times reported Thursday.

The AI-chip powerhouse will be part of OpenAI's new funding round with an agreement that could be concluded as early as this weekend, according to the Times, which cited unnamed sources close to the matter.

Nvidia declined to comment on the report.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has insisted that the US tech giant will make a "huge" investment in OpenAI and dismissed as "nonsense" reports that he is unhappy with the generative AI star.

Huang made the remarks late in January after the Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia's plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI had been put on ice.

Nvidia announced the plan in September, with the investment helping OpenAI build more infrastructure for next-generation artificial intelligence.

The funding round is reported to value OpenAI at some $850 billion.

Huang told journalists that the notion of Nvidia having doubts about a huge investment in OpenAI was "complete nonsense."

Huang insisted that Nvidia was going ahead with its investment in OpenAI, describing it as "one of the most consequential companies of our time".

"Sam is closing the round, and we will absolutely be involved in the round," Huang said, referring to OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

"We will invest a great deal of money."

Nvidia has become the coveted supplier of processors needed for training and operating the large language models (LLM) behind chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

LLM developers like OpenAI are directing much of the mammoth investment they have received into Nvidia's products, rushing to build GPU-stuffed data centers to serve an anticipated flood of demand for AI services.

The AI rush, and its frenzy of investment in giant data centers and the massive purchase of energy-intensive chips, continues despite signs of concern in the markets.

Technology

SDAIA President: Saudi Arabia Is Building an Integrated National AI Ecosystem in Line with Vision 2030 

SDAIA President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi delivers his remarks at Thursday's meeting. (SPA)
SDAIA President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi delivers his remarks at Thursday's meeting. (SPA)
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SDAIA President: Saudi Arabia Is Building an Integrated National AI Ecosystem in Line with Vision 2030 

SDAIA President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi delivers his remarks at Thursday's meeting. (SPA)
SDAIA President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi delivers his remarks at Thursday's meeting. (SPA)

President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Abdullah Al-Ghamdi stressed on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, guided by the objectives of its Vision 2030, is moving steadily to establish artificial intelligence (AI) as a trusted national capability.

The goal is to use AI to help develop government services, enhance competitiveness, build human capacity, and improve the quality of life through a comprehensive strategy based on three main pillars that unlock the full potential of this technology and achieve sustainable developmental impact, he told a high-level ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

“The first pillar focuses on building human capacity and enhancing readiness to engage with AI technologies,” he said.

He added that the second is building an integrated national AI ecosystem that drives expansion and innovation by developing advanced digital infrastructure that enables various sectors to adopt AI applications efficiently, consistently, and with effective governance.

The third pillar is governance, which ensures responsible and measurable AI through a national framework aligned with international standards, he explained.

Al-Ghamdi was heading the Kingdom’s delegation at the summit, and the meeting saw broad participation from heads of state, decision-makers, and technology leaders from around the world.

Technology

OpenAI's Altman Says World 'Urgently' Needs AI Regulation

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
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OpenAI's Altman Says World 'Urgently' Needs AI Regulation

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman speaks at the AI Summit in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)

Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, told a global artificial intelligence conference on Thursday that the world "urgently" needs to regulate the fast-evolving technology.

An organization could be set up to coordinate these efforts, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), AFP quoted him as saying.

Altman is one of the hosts of top tech CEOs in New Delhi for the AI Impact Summit, the fourth annual global meeting on how to handle advanced computing power.

Frenzied demand for generative AI has turbocharged profits for many companies while fueling anxiety about the risks to individuals and the planet.

"Democratization of AI is the best way to ensure humanity flourishes," Altman said, adding that "centralization of this technology in one company or country could lead to ruin".

"This is not to suggest that we won't need any regulation or safeguards," he said. "We obviously do, urgently, like we have for other powerful technologies."

Many researchers and campaigners say stronger action is needed to combat emerging issues, ranging from job disruption to sexualized deepfakes and AI-enabled online scams.

"We expect the world may need something like the IAEA for international coordination of AI," with the ability to "rapidly respond to changing circumstances", Altman said.

"The next few years will test global society as this technology continues to improve at a rapid pace. We can choose to either empower people or concentrate power," he added.

"Technology always disrupts jobs; we always find new and better things to do."

Generative AI chatbot ChatGPT has 100 million weekly users in India, more than a third of whom are students, he said.

Earlier on Thursday, OpenAI announced with Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a plan to build data center infrastructure in the South Asian country.