In a landmark move set to significantly bolster Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure, center3, a subsidiary of stc group, and HUMAIN, a PIF-owned artificial intelligence company, have announced a strategic joint venture. The partnership will focus on developing and operating a new generation of advanced AI data centers within the Kingdom.
This collaboration aims to establish an unprecedented level of computational power in the region, with plans to build infrastructure capable of supporting up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of AI workloads.
A Landmark Partnership for AI Infrastructure
The new joint venture combines center3’s extensive experience in data center operations and regional connectivity with HUMAIN’s strategic mandate to deliver full-stack AI capabilities. HUMAIN will hold a 51% majority stake in the venture, while center3 will own the remaining 49%.
The project will be rolled out in phases, beginning with an initial capacity of up to 250 megawatts (MW). This purpose-built infrastructure is designed to provide the high-capacity, low-latency environment essential for powering large language models (LLMs) and other mission-critical AI applications.
Executive Vision for a Digital Future
Leaders from all partner organizations emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration in positioning the region at the forefront of the AI era.
Olayan Alwetaid, CEO of stc group, remarked: “This joint venture with HUMAIN reinforces our commitment to enabling the region’s digital future. By combining HUMAIN’s AI leadership with center3’s world-class data-center expertise, we are creating the right foundation to strengthen the region’s capacity to host next-generation AI workloads.”
Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, highlighted the technical requirements of modern AI. “AI at scale requires purpose-built compute, efficiency, and resilience,” he said. “Through this joint venture, HUMAIN and stc group are engineering infrastructure capable of meeting the most demanding workloads while designed to support future advancements.”
Fahad AlHajeri, CEO of center3, commented on his company’s role in the alliance. “Our role in this partnership is to turn vision into capacity. Leveraging our expanding data-center footprint, interconnected platforms, and proven operations, we will deliver the density, resilience, and availability required for next-generation AI computing. This JV marks an important step in scaling the infrastructure foundation to meet surging regional market demand.”
About center3
center3 is a leading provider of data centers and digital infrastructure, delivering world-class solutions to meet the growing demand across the Middle East and Africa. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, center3 operates an extensive network of carrier-neutral data centers and subsea cable systems, establishing the Kingdom as a regional hub for cloud, content, and digital applications by strategically linking Europe, Asia, and Africa.
About HUMAIN
HUMAIN, a PIF company, is a global artificial intelligence firm delivering full-stack AI capabilities across data centers, hyper-performance infrastructure, advanced AI models, and transformative AI solutions. Its end-to-end model serves both public and private sectors to unlock value across industries through human-AI synergies, with a mission to drive IP leadership and talent supremacy worldwide.
Source: Zawya
