As Saudi Arabia fast-tracks its transformation into a knowledge-driven, digitally enabled economy, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal pillar of its national strategy. In 2024, the government unveiled Project Transcendence, a $100 billion initiative focused on building a robust AI ecosystem—complete with advanced data centers, startup support frameworks, and next-generation infrastructure. The goal: to accelerate domestic growth and position the Kingdom as a global AI powerhouse.

This bold ambition builds on years of groundwork laid through Vision 2030, which places AI at the centre of Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification and technological innovation. From the formation of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) to expansive smart city and digital infrastructure investments, the Kingdom is aligning regulation, talent, and technology to foster a thriving, sovereign AI ecosystem.

Among the standout players emerging amid this landscape is Takween, a company incubated at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Takween’s mission is clear: to provide sovereign, enterprise-grade AI solutions built specifically for the Kingdom’s industrial and regulatory landscape.

In an exclusive interview, Ahmed Sulaiman, Founder and CEO of Takween, shares how the company is building Saudi-first AI innovations.

Building AI for Saudi, in Saudi

Takween was born out of a simple but ambitious idea: to empower Saudi organisations with advanced AI capabilities without compromising on data privacy, compliance, or contextual relevance.

“We launched Takween at KAUST with a clear mission,” says Sulaiman. “To make advanced, enterprise-grade AI accessible, sovereign, and outcome-driven for every Saudi organisation.”

To realise that vision, Takween developed a no-code platform that allows enterprises to deploy machine learning and generative AI models—without the need for large data science teams or reliance on foreign cloud providers.

“It’s a local, no-code platform built specifically for enterprise AI,” he explains. “It features MLOps and GenAI functionalities, designed to help companies use AI securely with their private data.”

Crucially, the platform is sovereign by design. All workloads stay within Saudi Arabia, aligned with inter-agency mandates and sector-specific regulations. “We prioritised compliance with data residency policies from day one,” he adds. “That’s a big part of our value proposition.”

But beyond technical features, what truly sets Takween apart is its Saudi-first approach to innovation.

“We are offering Saudi-designed AI innovation,” Sulaiman says. “That means the platform is created with local data governance, local context, and national priorities in mind. It aligns fully with the broader vision of the Kingdom to be a leading nation in AI.”

Takween’s platform integrates seamlessly with enterprise systems—whether ERP, CRM, or unstructured data sources—making it a powerful enabler for AI deployment across sectors.

“You can’t build meaningful AI solutions without access to data,” he adds. “Our platform connects to all enterprise systems, pulls in the data, and enables secure, rapid AI deployment either on-prem or within regulated clouds.”

This capability has made Takween especially relevant for organisations in mission-critical industries such as government, healthcare, and financial services— who need to move quickly but can’t compromise on security or compliance.

Takween’s goals are also firmly aligned with Saudi Arabia’s broader economic transformation. A notable milestone was the company’s joint venture with Asas, the operations arm of MODON (Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones).

“We’ve partnered with Asas to integrate AI across Saudi industrial cities,” says Sulaiman. “Manufacturing already contributes around 12 percent to the GDP, but there’s a huge target to increase this significantly by 2030.”

Industrial AI represents one of the most impactful and scalable applications of artificial intelligence, and Takween is capitalising on this opportunity to address pain points unique to the sector. From increasing equipment uptime to optimising energy use and safety protocols, the company is driving meaningful transformation on the factory floor.

AI is seen as a core catalyst to reach that goal—enabling predictive maintenance, digital twins, energy optimisation, and autonomous inspections.

“AI can reduce costs, improve safety, and create entirely new digital services in industrial zones,” he says. “It’s the bridge between Vision 2030 and Industry 4.0.”

Takween’s role, he adds, is to help industries make that leap. “We want to be a major player in helping factories make that transition—unlocking productivity gains in line with global benchmarks.”

Further to its strategic partnership with Asas, Takween is also advancing cross-disciplinary AI use cases that integrate computer vision, edge computing, and simulation technologies—responding to the growing adoption of IoT, 5G, and robotics across industrial environments. These efforts are driving Saudi factories toward fully intelligent, self-regulating operations, reinforcing Takween’s role in the Kingdom’s broader economic transformation agenda.

Choosing the right infrastructure partner

As demand for its solutions grew, Takween needed a cloud partner that could support its sovereign infrastructure requirements and AI scalability ambitions. It chose Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)—backed by a robust GPU architecture and a growing regional footprint.

“We’re currently building Takween Cloud as a sovereign AI cloud service,” says Sulaiman. “We partnered with Oracle because they offered local GPUs, high-bandwidth networking, low latency, and strong security—everything we needed.”

Oracle’s broader investment in the Kingdom—$14 billion over the next decade—only reinforced the alignment. That includes new cloud regions and AI services tailored to national priorities.

“Oracle’s team in Saudi Arabia really understood our goals,” he adds. “They aligned with our vision and supported us beyond just technology—through facilitation, technical expertise, and co-innovation.”

With Takween Cloud set to launch soon, the company is ready to scale its AI-native, sovereign platform across the Kingdom.

Going beyond technology

Takween’s contribution to Vision 2030 extends beyond tech—it’s also about building Saudi Arabia’s AI talent pipeline.

“We’re hiring fresh graduates from Saudi universities—many of them already have strong skills in data science and AI,” says Sulaiman. “We’re also collaborating with national institutions to deliver executive-level AI awareness workshops.”

These sessions, he says, are essential. “To build effective AI strategies, CEOs and decision-makers need to understand AI’s real value. These workshops help them align budgets and priorities accordingly.”

Is AI just hype? Not in Sulaiman’s view.

“AI is absolutely real. It’s not a buzzword—it’s been around for decades and is already transforming industries,” he states. “Unlike cryptocurrency, which still lacks widespread real-world applications, AI is like the mobile phone. It has fundamentally changed how we live and work.”

His advice to leaders is clear: “AI is a moving train. If you don’t get on now, you risk being left behind.”

As Takween prepares for the next phase of growth, the focus is on deepening its reach across Saudi verticals—particularly healthcare, insurance, and fintech. But the vision doesn’t stop at the border.

“By 2026–2027, we want to establish a regional footprint and build innovation hubs,” Sulaiman shares. “And between 2027–2029, we’ll look at expanding globally.”

He also hints at new product lines aimed at high-impact sectors. “We want to deliver real, tangible impact—like helping reduce healthcare costs through AI innovation.”

As the Kingdom moves from vision to execution with initiatives like Project Transcendence, companies like Takween are playing a critical role in building the infrastructure, applications, and talent needed to turn AI into a national competitive advantage.

By delivering sovereign, compliance-ready platforms tailored to local needs—and by anchoring innovation firmly within Saudi borders—Takween is positioning itself as a strategic enabler of the Kingdom’s long-term goals.

“Our vision is to be the AI backbone for Saudi organisations,” says Sulaiman. “Not just through technology, but through trust, capability-building, and a deep understanding of what transformation truly requires.”