stc group, through its digital infrastructure subsidiary center3, has announced a strategic joint venture with HUMAIN, a Public Investment Fund-backed company delivering full-stack artificial intelligence capabilities globally, to develop large-scale AI data centres in Saudi Arabia.
The joint venture will build and operate next-generation infrastructure capable of hosting up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of AI workloads. The facilities are designed to support high-density compute environments, low-latency connectivity, and the resilience required to run advanced AI applications at scale.
The partnership brings together center3’s data-centre footprint, operational expertise, and regional connectivity with HUMAIN’s mandate to deliver end-to-end AI capabilities, creating a foundation for hosting next-generation AI workloads across the Kingdom.
Olayan Alwetaid, CEO of stc group, said the collaboration reflects the company’s long-term commitment to regional digital infrastructure development.
“This joint venture with HUMAIN reinforces our commitment to enabling the region’s digital future. By combining HUMAIN’s AI leadership with center3’s world-class data-center expertise, we are creating the right foundation to strengthen the region’s capacity to host next-generation AI workloads,” he said.
Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, highlighted the need for specialised infrastructure to support AI at scale. “AI at scale requires purpose-built compute, efficiency, and resilience. Through this joint venture, HUMAIN and stc group are engineering infrastructure capable of meeting the most demanding workloads while designed to support future advancements.”
From an infrastructure delivery perspective, the JV is positioned as a capacity-building initiative aligned with rising regional demand for AI-ready compute. Fahad AlHajeri, CEO of center3, said: “Our role in this partnership is to turn vision into capacity. Leveraging our expanding data-center footprint, interconnected platforms, and proven operations, we will deliver the density, resilience, and availability required for next-generation AI computing. This JV marks an important step in scaling the infrastructure foundation to meet surging regional market demand.”
The alliance is expected to support the hosting of critical digital assets and provide a robust platform for deploying large language models (LLMs) and mission-critical AI applications, contributing to the continued development of Saudi Arabia’s AI ecosystem.
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