Cisco has revealed a collaboration with HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia’s AI enterprise, to construct what they describe as “the world’s most open, scalable, resilient and cost-efficient AI infrastructure.”
The announcement follows meetings between Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on May 6, 2023, along with Executive Vice President Jeetu Patel’s participation in President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
The multi-year initiative aims to position Saudi Arabia as a centre for digital innovation, building on Cisco’s 25-year presence in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia, Cisco launch collaboration to develop world-class AI systems
“AI can unlock groundbreaking opportunities for economic growth and innovation, accelerating KSA’s Vision 2030. Today marks a new milestone in more than 25 years of partnership with the Kingdom. Together, we are embracing the future and empowering organisations across the public and private sectors to harness the potential of AI and be at the forefront of this revolution,” Chuck Robbins, Cisco Chair and CEO said.
“This is not just another infrastructure play – it’s an open invitation to the world’s innovators. We are democratising AI at the compute level, ensuring that access to advanced AI is limited only by imagination, not by infrastructure,” Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN added.
Cisco will provide its technology portfolio to support Saudi Arabia’s AI ambitions, including:
- AI-Ready infrastructure with Nexus, Nexus HyperFabric and UCS technologies
- Security solutions such as Hypershield and Splunk
- An open platform with vendor-neutral integration capabilities
- Access to Cisco’s global network of 300,000 partners
Beyond the HUMAIN partnership, Cisco announced several initiatives:
- Plans for a Cisco AI Institute at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
- Digital skills training for 500,000 learners over five years, extending Cisco Networking Academy’s existing programme that has trained 401,000 Saudi learners (36 per cent female)
- AI infrastructure development for Riyadh Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup
“We thank Cisco for its continued partnership and commitment to the Kingdom. This investment marks a major step forward in scaling world-class AI infrastructure, accelerating innovation, and advancing a thriving AI economy led by Saudi talent, while reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a leading hub for AI in the region and beyond,” Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology said.
Following announcements at LEAP 2025, Cisco has established data centres for cloud security and the Webex Collaboration Platform in Saudi Arabia.
The company plans to create a Meraki cloud in the Kingdom and has begun establishing local manufacturing operations for wireless technologies.
Cisco is also expanding access to its Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) qualification in partnership with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
“At Cisco, we’re partnering for the future. Today’s announcement reinforces our commitment to expand our investments in the region and solidifies our support for Saudi’s Vision 2030. Our long-standing presence in KSA combined with Cisco’s cutting-edge technologies and expertise will support the Kingdom in securely powering AI at scale,” David Meads, Vice President for the Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS at Cisco added.
Since 2016, Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration programme has supported Saudi Arabia with 23 projects across healthcare, education, smart cities and government sectors.
