Gulf AI Leaders: Dubai and Riyadh in Race for a Post-Silicon Future

Date: June 24, 2025

In a dramatic shift of global tech gravity, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are investing over $2 trillion to position themselves as emerging leaders in artificial intelligence. Dubai and Riyadh are not only competing with each other, but also aiming to rival traditional AI powerhouses like Silicon Valley, London, and Beijing.

The UAE’s G42, supported by Mubadala, has launched multiple partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Cerebras Systems, while building sovereign data infrastructure. In parallel, Saudi Arabia’s $100B Alat initiative, backed by the PIF, targets AI manufacturing, robotics, and chip fabrication. Both nations are investing in compute power, LLMs, and brain-computer interface research.

This race is not merely technological—it’s geopolitical. Gulf countries see AI as the foundation of a new economic and civilizational model, less dependent on hydrocarbons and more focused on digital autonomy. The AI boom supports their larger vision: becoming global decision-makers in shaping a post-oil, AI-centric era.

By attracting top talent, acquiring stakes in foreign AI labs, and launching domestic supercomputing centers, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are moving fast. The question remains: can they sustain this pace while navigating ethical governance, regional politics, and global tensions over AI control?

📎 Sources

Financial Times, WIRED ME, Semafor, MIT Technology Review (June 2025)