Saudi AI firm Humain won’t use Huawei tech in US chip bid, CEO says

Tareq Amin, CEO of Saudi AI startup Humain, said the company will not use equipment from China’s Huawei as it seeks US approval to buy advanced chips.

Humain, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is in talks with US officials to secure licenses for importing AI chips from American firms.

The US restricts AI chip exports to Saudi Arabia, requiring government approval for shipments of advanced accelerators.

Amin said Humain has shared detailed security measures with US authorities to address concerns about technology transfers to China.

Amin described plans to deploy about 18,000 chips in 2026, with a goal of reaching up to 400,000 AI chips by 2030.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Security guarantees drive export licenses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) won Nvidia chip licenses after pledging dollar-for-dollar investment matching that could reach $1.4 trillion over ten years. Saudi Arabia is moving slower because U.S. officials worry about Chinese access through Saudi channels 1.
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) tells companies to confirm that export authorizations cover the transfer of semiconductor production technology and the shipment of chips. It also warns that Chinese advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs) such as Huawei’s Ascend models were likely developed or produced in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) 2.
Humain rejects Huawei gear. The move targets the U.S. goal of stopping diversion of technology to China [News Article].

Saudi plan targets 400,000 chips

Plans grow from 18,000 chips in 2026 to 400,000 by 2030. Meeting that load needs multi‑gigawatt power and high‑density cooling [News Article]. The expansion opens room for third‑party EPC firms (engineering, procurement, construction) and liquid cooling suppliers [News Article]. Power developers not listed in Humain’s partnerships can compete too [News Article].
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) runs procurement through Etimad, the government’s e‑procurement portal 3. Vendors see regular tenders under the Government Tenders and Procurement Law after registering in the approved supplier database 3.
Data center operators and suppliers should watch active Requests for Proposals (RFPs) on Etimad 3. Timed outreach can shape bids as Humain and partners like Blackstone add capacity for the chip rollout 3.