From Oil To AI Supremacy: How Saudi Crown Prince MBS Is Outplaying The US And China | World News

New Delhi: Saudi Arabia is making a determined move to transform itself from an oil-dependent economy into a technological powerhouse by focusing on artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. The cornerstone of this vision is a US$5 billion data center planned near the Red Sea, aiming to provide massive computing capacity that could support AI development in Europe and beyond.

For decades, Saudi Arabia’s economy was based on fossil fuel exports. Now the kingdom is channeling this wealth into building the most valuable resource of the digital age: computing power. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, is leading this transformation by using the kingdom’s abundance of cheap energy, vast land and financial resources to attract global technology firms looking to build large-scale AI data centres.

American technology giants are currently targeted by Riyadh. MBS’s visit to the White House last month reinforced his ambitions on the international stage, as executives from OpenAI, Google, Qualcomm, Intel and Oracle attended the country’s Future Investment Summits.

In May, MBS launched Humain, a national AI initiative that aims to manage approximately 6% of global AI workloads in the coming years. If successful, Humain will make Saudi Arabia a major player in AI computing power alongside the United States and China. To support this, the kingdom is building three large data center complexes simultaneously targeting foreign companies to secure its place in the global artificial intelligence race.

But skeptics remain cautious about the kingdom’s ambitions. Neighboring United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI in Abu Dhabi, signaling strong regional competition.

At the same time, Washington remains concerned about Beijing’s influence in sensitive areas, while Riyadh’s growing ties with China complicate possible collaborations with American technology firms.

MBS carefully managed these competing interests. He has developed close relations with President Donald Trump while welcoming Chinese investment. Saudi Aramco has already deployed DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company, to improve operational efficiency in one of its data centers.

Humain’s roadmap includes buying semiconductors from Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm, as well as a $5 billion deal with Amazon to build AI infrastructure.

Power and electricity are at the heart of these goals. The kingdom is expanding its electricity grid to support new data centres, paving the way for Saudi Arabia to become the third global center for artificial intelligence after the US and China.

But managing the delicate balance between Washington and Beijing, especially regarding advanced chips and defense technology, poses great risks for Riyadh.

MBS’s visit to Washington featured high-profile meetings, military fanfare and major economic commitments. He has pledged up to $1 trillion in Saudi investment in the US, secured deals on F-35 fighter jets and gained access to advanced American artificial intelligence infrastructure. The visit marked a political comeback that positions the 40-year-old Crown Prince as a key leader influencing the strategic future of the Middle East.

By combining unconventional energy policies with aggressive investment strategies, MBS has made Saudi Arabia too important for the United States to ignore. At the same time, its willingness to engage with China sends the message that any hesitation from Washington could push Riyadh closer to Beijing in terms of both military and technological partnerships.

Although a binding defense agreement and uranium enrichment decisions have not yet been resolved, Saudi Arabia’s direction is clear. Guided by Vision 2030, the kingdom is signaling that it is open to business, ready to diversify beyond oil and determined to assert itself as a global power.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is redefining global affairs by positioning Saudi Arabia as a central player in the digital age, defense strategy and geopolitical interactions between the world’s two largest powers.