Saudi Arabia is looking to launch an ambitious artificial intelligence venture dubbed “Project Transcendence,” with potential investments reaching up to $100 billion, according to a recent report from Bloomberg, which cites people familiar with the matter. The kingdom aims to establish itself as a leading technological hub in the Middle East.
The state-backed initiative will focus on developing AI infrastructure, including data centers and startup support, while actively recruiting tech talent to the kingdom. The project’s structure is expected to mirror that of Alat, a sustainable manufacturing fund also backed by $100 billion from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A key component of the project is an existing partnership between PIF and Google (Nasdaq: GOOGL), which could serve as the foundation for this broader initiative. This collaboration, valued between $5 billion and $10 billion, includes plans to develop Arabic language AI models.
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Project Transcendence seeks to forge partnerships with established technology companies, with Saudi Arabia offering infrastructure support and capital investment. The initiative aims to elevate the kingdom’s AI capabilities to compete with the United States and China, while also developing a national champion comparable to Abu Dhabi’s G42 tech conglomerate.
The investment is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to diversify the economy beyond oil dependency. The kingdom has already made significant strides in AI development, establishing research centers and ministries dedicated to artificial intelligence, and creating large-language models similar to ChatGPT.
Additionally, PIF is exploring a partnership with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz for a fund potentially worth up to $40 billion, targeting AI investments. The kingdom aims to rank among the top 15 countries in AI by focusing on domestic technology adoption through this decade, with plans to become an AI exporter by 2030.
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