$100B ‘Project Transcendence’: Saudi Arabia’s AI Push to Rival UAE

Saudi Arabia is reportedly gearing up for an ambitious AI initiative known as "Project Transcendence," aiming to create a high-tech hub to rival the United Arab Emirates’ tech dominance.

According to anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg, the state-backed project may involve investments reaching $100 billion, though officials have yet to confirm these plans publicly.

The project, if realised, would mark a major step in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which focuses on diversifying the kingdom's economy away from oil by fostering new industries. The plan reportedly includes extensive investment in data centers, AI startups, and infrastructure, aiming to position Saudi Arabia among the world’s top 15 nations in artificial intelligence by 2030. Project Transcendence will also prioritise recruiting global talent, developing the local AI ecosystem, and drawing tech companies to Saudi Arabia.

Rumored to be a joint venture with established tech giants, the project’s groundwork may already be underway, with a notable collaboration between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. The two entities are reportedly investing between $5 billion and $10 billion to develop Arabic language AI models, and this partnership could set the stage for Project Transcendence's broader AI ambitions.

Whether this unconfirmed initiative will materialize remains to be seen, but the reported scale of investment underscores Saudi Arabia’s serious intentions to challenge the UAE as a leading regional tech hub.