Aramco Digital and AI startup Groq have announced plans to construct what they say will be the world's largest AI inferencing data center in Saudi Arabia. The partnership, unveiled on stage at the Global AI Summit 2024, marks a significant step in Saudi Arabia's push to become a global AI hub.
Set to launch by year-end, the facility will initially house 19,000 of Groq's Language Processing Units, eventually expanding to 200,000. Aramco Digital CEO Tareq Amin said the center will offer AI computing power through the company's nawat marketplace in a flexible "as-a-Service" model.
Groq CEO Jonathan Ross highlighted the project's scale: "The facility will process billions of tokens daily by late 2024, scaling to hundreds of billions by 2025." This capacity could support hundreds of thousands of developers initially, potentially reaching millions within a year.
The partnership aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan. Aramco Digital, a subsidiary of the state oil giant, is funding the project at a cost "in the order of nine figures," according to Ross.
Groq's decision to establish its regional headquarters in Riyadh further solidifies Saudi Arabia's AI ambitions. Ross cited the country's strategic location and low energy costs as key advantages for serving markets across the Middle East, Africa, and India.
While U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chip exports have impacted some countries, Ross says that Groq doesn't anticipate such limitations, citing open communication with the U.S. Department of Commerce.