The CEO of Alat, Saudi Arabia’s new investment fund for semiconductor and artificial intelligence technology, stated that the country would divest from China if requested by the US. Amit Midha said that while current requests have been to keep manufacturing and supply chains separate, they would divest if partnerships with China became an issue for the US. Alat is backed by $100 billion in capital from the Public Investment Fund.
According to reports by Bloomberg, US officials have advised Saudi Arabian counterparts to choose between Chinese and American technology as they work to develop the Saudi Arabian semiconductor industry. Talks on national security issues have emphasized the importance of trusted and secure partnerships in the US. Midha expressed that the US is the number one partner and market for the AI, chips, and semiconductor industry.
Saudi Arabia is aiming to establish itself as a leader in advanced technology within the region. The country hopes to create data centers, AI companies, and semiconductor manufacturing facilities. Concerns have arisen in the US about the Middle East’s connections to China, with worries that countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could provide Beijing with access to technology that Chinese firms are restricted from acquiring in the US.
To address these concerns, Microsoft Corp., an American tech giant, invested $1.5 billion in G42, an AI firm based in Abu Dhabi after it agreed to divest from Chinese technology. This agreement led to significant investment opportunities for G42 as it maintains access to US systems powering AI applications. Alat is planning to announce partnerships with two US tech companies by