AWS and Humain Commit to Bringing 50MW Online at Saudi AI Zone by 2028

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that, together with Saudi Arabian partner Humain, it will bring the first 50MW of capacity online at the Saudi Arabia AI Zone in Riyadh by 2028. The commitment marks a key milestone in a project that has been in the works since the two companies first unveiled their plans in May 2025, backed by an investment pledge of approximately $5 billion.

The AI Zone, which forms part of Saudi Arabia's broader push to position itself as a regional technology hub, is expected to host some 150,000 AI chips, including Nvidia GB300 processors and AWS's own Trainium silicon. That deployment detail was first revealed in November 2025, though no construction timelines were provided at the time. Now, AWS has used the LEAP technology event in Riyadh, held in late August, to confirm that the first 50MW tranche of capacity will be live by 2028.

In a separate update, AWS said its first cloud region in Saudi Arabia remains on track for launch by December 2026. The region, which was initially announced in March 2024 with a projected investment of $5.3 billion, is central to the company's expansion strategy in the Middle East. Matt Garman, CEO of AWS, highlighted the significance of the project during the LEAP event, noting that Saudi Arabia is home to some of the most ambitious builders, from startups and enterprises to public sector organizations deploying AI at scale. He added that the new region and the partnership with Humain will deliver full-stack cloud and AI infrastructure to help power new industries, create jobs, and accelerate the goals of Vision 2030.

The announcement comes at a challenging time for AWS in the broader Middle East region. The company's data centers in Bahrain have been repeatedly damaged during the Iran War, and its UAE cloud region has been listed as "disrupted" since early March 2026. Despite these operational difficulties, AWS continues to push forward with its Saudi investments, underscoring the strategic importance of the Kingdom in its regional roadmap.

Industry observers note that the Saudi AI Zone project reflects a broader trend of hyperscale cloud providers partnering with local entities to build AI-ready infrastructure in the Gulf, driven by government-backed digital transformation agendas and surging demand for compute capacity. The phased approach to bringing capacity online, starting with 50MW, suggests a carefully managed rollout designed to align with both technical readiness and market demand.