Microsoft, U.S. Diplomat Discuss Saudi AI and Cloud Cooperation

An Oct. 14 meeting between Microsoft Arabia President Ayman Al-Ghamdi and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jennifer Larson focused on expanding U.S.-Saudi work in superintelligence and cloud computing as Microsoft advances regional technology plans.

Microsoft plans to spend more than $10 billion in combined capital and operating expenses in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, through 2030. The regional program covers cloud and AI infrastructure, connectivity, digital resilience, cybersecurity and skills initiatives. The company has not disclosed a Saudi-specific allocation from the regional total.

Microsoft also plans more than $400 million for subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030. That commitment is regional and does not specify a Saudi share.

The company’s Saudi Arabia East datacenter region, planned for the Eastern Province, is scheduled to become available to customers in November 2026. It will include three Azure Availability Zones.

A planned collaboration with HUMAIN would make its ALLAM models available through Microsoft Foundry and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Engineering teams from both companies are set to provide hands-on deployment support.