US Approves Advanced AI Chip Sales to Saudi Arabia's Humain as Crown Prince Pledges $1 Trillion Investment

According to Bloomberg, The United States plans to approve the first sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips to Saudi Arabian AI firm Humain, Bloomberg reported, marking a significant win for the state-backed venture as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with President Donald Trump. The approvals are expected as part of a broader AI agreement between Washington and Riyadh that could be finalized this week, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named discussing sensitive negotiations.

The landmark agreement would allow the US government to look favorably upon a negotiated volume of AI chip export applications for Saudi Arabia, which has required Washington's permission for such shipments since 2023. Humain CEO Tareq Amin told Bloomberg last month that the company was waiting for export permits involving chips from Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm, and California-based chip startup Groq. The deal represents a boost for chipmakers seeking to supply the Middle East market, with Amin stating in October that Humain plans to deploy up to 400,000 AI chips by 2030.

During Tuesday's Oval Office meeting with Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed emphasized the critical importance of artificial intelligence to Saudi Arabia's economic transformation. "We are going to increase that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion of investment - real investment and real opportunity," the crown prince announced, referring to deals related to technology, including artificial intelligence. The crown prince described the United States as "the hottest country on the planet" under Trump's leadership and said the agreements signed Tuesday in areas including AI, materials, and advanced manufacturing "will create a lot of domestic opportunities."

The chip deal follows months of negotiations between the US and Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh working to address Washington's concerns that semiconductors sent to the Gulf nation could benefit China. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at the chips agreement after Tuesday's meeting, telling Fox News: "We are going to partner them with some of the biggest US tech companies. And then there is also a Saudi startup that will be getting a smaller supply of chips that can be built on." The bilateral accord includes security conditions related to China, with Saudi officials publicly stating the kingdom would divest from Chinese technology if requested by the United States.

Humain, where Crown Prince Mohammed serves as chairman, officially debuted during Trump's visit to Riyadh in May 2025 and has become the centerpiece of Saudi Arabia's effort to capitalize on global AI investment. Formed by Saudi Arabia's $1 trillion Public Investment Fund, the company received additional backing in October when Saudi Aramco announced plans to take a significant minority stake. The US chip approval positions Saudi Arabia to compete as a regional AI hub, leveraging its abundant energy resources and capital to build data center infrastructure that the kingdom hopes will establish it as a long-term strategic partner in the global AI supply chain.

Sources

• Bloomberg: "US Plans to Approve Sale of Chips to Saudi AI Venture Humain" (November 18, 2025)
• Bloomberg: "Saudi AI Chief Confident of US Chip Deal After Vow to Shun Huawei Tech" (October 28, 2025)
• NPR: "Trump defends Saudi crown prince over question about killing of Khashoggi" (November 18, 2025)
• Breitbart: "Saudi Crown Prince Pledges to Raise U.S. Investment to Nearly $1 Trillion" (November 18, 2025)
• Yahoo Finance/Bloomberg: "US Plans to Approve Sale of Chips to Saudi AI Venture Humain" (November 18, 2025)

Article by EcoPulse24 Editorial Team | Published November 19, 2025