Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Cisco Systems, and Saudi
Arabia–based AI firm Humain have announced a joint venture to build
world-class AI data centres in the Middle East, with their first major customer
already secured.
The yet-unnamed company will kick off operations with a
100-megawatt data centre in Saudi Arabia, slated to begin in 2026. Humain has
already contracted all of the capacity to generative video startup Luma AI,
making Luma the inaugural customer.
Under the terms of the partnership, Humain will lead on
data-centre development while AMD provides its Instinct MI450 GPUs and
Cisco supplies networking infrastructure and critical systems. AMD and Cisco
will act as minority shareholders in the JV, sharing both profits and risks.
The initiative aligns with broad ambitions: the joint
venture aims to scale up to 1 gigawatt of AI infrastructure by 2030. According
to Humain CEO Tareq Amin, the project will leverage “state-of-the-art
data centres … delivering modern capacity with efficient power and lower
capital expenditure.”
Sustainability is a core part of the plan: the first phase
of 100 MW is expected to be powered entirely by renewable energy.
Cisco’s CEO Chuck Robbins noted that the company will
use its long track record in building incentive structures for its salesforce
to help market the JV’s data centre capacity. AMD’s Chair and CEO Lisa Su
added that, together, the partners will also establish an AMD Center of
Excellence in Saudi Arabia to drive innovation and local AI integration.
Humain, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, sees this venture as a strategic lever to power both regional and global AI demand.
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