- HUMAIN will leverage center3’s connectivity infrastructure to underpin its full-stack AI ecosystem.
- The framework links to Saudi ambitions for diversification and competitive positioning in AI.
What happened: center3 and Saudi AI firm HUMAIN agree a strategic infrastructure partnership to support the Kingdom’s ambition as a global AI hub
center3, the regional digital infrastructure arm of stc Group, has signed a strategic framework agreement with HUMAIN (a Saudi AI company backed by the Public Investment Fund) to support national AI infrastructure deployment. The collaboration gives HUMAIN access to center3’s networks to link its AI operations within Saudi Arabia and to international connectivity points. The infrastructure will provide the backbone for HUMAIN’s ambition to operate across the full AI value chain—from compute and cloud services to data and application deployment. In announcing the deal, Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, emphasised that “connectivity is fundamental to any world-class AI ecosystem.” Fahad AlHajeri, CEO of center3, described the move as reinforcing their mission to build digital highways that enable innovation.
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Why it is important
This agreement underlines how connectivity is becoming a cornerstone of national AI strategies—not just compute and data. By tying infrastructure to AI ambitions, Saudi Arabia is signalling that to compete globally, nations must support every layer of the stack. For HUMAIN, access to center3’s network removes a major barrier: the need for high-capacity, low-latency infrastructure, especially at scale and with AI’s demands.
From a broader perspective, such partnerships may become more common as countries with deep pockets push for computing sovereignty. Control of networking infrastructure gives firms and governments leverage over latency, redundancy, and cost. For the connectivity sector, it reinforces that telecom infrastructure is no longer merely “dumb pipe” but a strategic enabler of AI, cloud and industrial transformation in the region.
