Cisco Expands Partnership with Saudi Arabia to Power the AI Future

Cisco to Join HUMAIN's Initiative to Build the Kingdom's Future AI Infrastructure

News Summary:

• Cisco to partner with Saudi Arabia's new HUMAIN AI enterprise to power AI infrastructure and ecosystem growth.
• New investments in research, talent and digital skills aim to accelerate the Kingdom's AI journey.
• The partnership supports Vision 2030 by advancing Saudi Arabia's transformation into a leading, diversified digital economy.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025 /CNW/ -- Cisco, the global leader in networking and security, today announced a groundbreaking initiative with HUMAIN – Saudi Arabia's new AI enterprise – to help build the world's most open, scalable, resilient and cost-efficient AI infrastructure.

This landmark collaboration will set a new standard for how AI infrastructure is designed, secured and delivered – combining Cisco's global expertise with the Kingdom's bold AI ambitions. As the cornerstone in a wider set of new investments in research, talent and innovation, the partnership builds on Cisco's 25-year commitment to Saudi Arabia's digital and economic growth.

These announcements follow CEO Chuck Robbins' visit to Saudi Arabia on May 6, 2023, where he met with HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel's participation today in the visit by President Trump to Saudi Arabia. 

Laying the foundations for AI at scale
Cisco's new initiative with HUMAIN plans to build Saudi Arabia's AI infrastructure from the ground up – to deliver scalable, secure, cloud-based solutions to power the Kingdom's AI ambitions. The multi-year initiative aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global leader in digital innovation.

H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said, "We thank Cisco for its continued partnership and commitment to the Kingdom. This investment marks a major step forward in scaling world-class AI infrastructure, accelerating innovation, and advancing a thriving AI economy led by Saudi talent, while reinforcing the Kingdom's position as a leading hub for AI in the region and beyond." 

"AI can unlock groundbreaking opportunities for economic growth and innovation, accelerating KSA's Vision 2030," said Chuck Robbins, Cisco Chair and CEO. "Today marks a new milestone in more than 25 years of partnership with the Kingdom. Together, we are embracing the future and empowering organizations across the public and private sectors to harness the potential of AI and be at the forefront of this revolution."

"This is not just another infrastructure play - it's an open invitation to the world's innovators," said Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN. "We are democratising AI at the compute level, ensuring that access to advanced AI is limited only by imagination, not by infrastructure".

Cisco's global scale and deep expertise will help power the Kingdom's AI future
Cisco's role in building Saudi Arabia's AI infrastructure goes beyond technology – it brings the scale, security and ecosystem needed to make AI work for the Kingdom's economy and society. Cisco is uniquely positioned to offer:

• AI-Ready infrastructure – Features advanced silicon and purpose-built AI solutions including its industry-leading Nexus, Nexus HyperFabric and UCS technologies, Cisco's end-to-end platform is built to support massive, scalable workloads.
• Security by design – With security solutions like Hypershield and Splunk, Cisco helps organizations move beyond traditional security methods to protect the applications, data and models that power AI innovation.
• An open, flexible platform – As a secure network forms the foundation for any AI workload, Cisco's vendor-agnostic approach makes it easy to integrate with local and global partners across the AI ecosystem to deliver true business value.
• Global reach, local impact – Backed by a 300,000-strong global partner network, Cisco brings the expertise and delivery power to match the Kingdom's ambition.

The foundation Cisco can provide will help turn Saudi Arabia's AI vision into reality – at scale, and with lasting impact.

Backing the Kingdom's AI ambition on multiple fronts
Alongside its flagship initiative with HUMAIN, Cisco is making a series of strategic investments to strengthen Saudi Arabia's AI ecosystem – spanning research, skills, and infrastructure:

• Cisco AI Institute at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) – Cisco plans to establish an AI Institute at KAUST to accelerate innovation, develop real-world AI solutions and grow next-generation talent in Saudi Arabia. The Institute will be supported by Cisco's foundational AI technologies and infrastructure.
• Digital upskilling for 500,000 learners – Free training in AI, cybersecurity, data science and programming over the next five years, building on Cisco Networking Academy's success in training over 401,000 learners in KSA to date – with 36% female participation.
• AI infrastructure for global mega events – Building on its track record of providing secure networking infrastructure for global events, Cisco plans to work with the sponsors of Riyadh Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup to develop secure, AI-driven digital infrastructure – helping seamless operations and standout experiences.

Building on Momentum from LEAP 2025
Earlier this year at LEAP 2025, Cisco announced a series of initiatives to advance AI and digital innovation in the Kingdom. Delivering on its commitments, Cisco has operationalized data centers for cloud security services and the Webex Collaboration Platform. To further complement our security and collaboration services, Cisco is announcing its plan to establish a Meraki cloud in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, delivering the power of cloud-managed networking solutions.

Cisco has also initiated plans for a local manufacturing base – starting with fulfillment operations for wireless technologies, with intent to scale based on market needs.  Cisco is also expanding access to the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) qualification—one of the most widely recognized and respected technical certifications in the industry—in partnership with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). 

A long-term partner in Saudi Arabia's digital journey
David Meads, Vice President for the Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS at Cisco, said: "At Cisco, we're partnering for the future. Today's announcement reinforces our commitment to expand our investments in the region and solidifies our support for Saudi's Vision 2030. Our long-standing presence in KSA combined with Cisco's cutting-edge technologies and expertise will support the Kingdom in securely powering AI at scale."

Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program has been supporting the Kingdom since 2016 – driving digitization, building digital skills and fostering innovation. To date, it has delivered 23 high-impact projects across healthcare, education, smart cities and government.

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world.  With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience.  With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on the Cisco Newsroom.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, among others, statements regarding Cisco's future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations, including the anticipated timing, consummation and expected benefits of its plans in Saudi Arabia. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including, among other things, the ability of Cisco to achieve expected benefits of its investments, business and economic conditions and growth trends, increased competition, global economic conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment and other risk factors set forth in Cisco's most recent reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q, respectively. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on limited information currently available to Cisco, which is subject to change, and Cisco will not necessarily update the information.

SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.

Rasha Zaki - Communications MEA, [email protected]