Aramco Digital has announced a slew of partnerships with companies operating in the AI and wireless technologies space.
Collaborations include the signing of Memorandums of Understanding with Cerebras Systems, an advanced generative AI model dubbed Norous in partnership with Groq, and a startup incubator and 5G 450 MHz chips developed by Qualcomm and Aramco Digital.
Aramco Digital is the digital and technology subsidiary of state-owned Aramco, the world’s largest producer of oil and has rights to the second-largest proven crude oil reserves globally.
The collaboration with Cerebras Systems will see the two companies aim to bring high-performance AI inference to industries, universities, and enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Under the terms of the agreement, Aramco will deploy Cerebras CS-3 systems into its cloud computing business to accelerate the building, training, and deployment of LLMs and AI applications.
Meanwhile, the partnership with Groq will help Aramco Digital bring its voice-commanded generative AI model Norous to market, with the AI semiconductor company providing the necessary scalable infrastructure.
The announcement was made by Aramco Digital CEO Tareq Amin on a panel at the Global AI Summit (GAIN) in Riyadh on September 10.
According to a report from Arab News, Aramco Digital and Groq plan to deliver 25 million tokens by the end of the first quarter of 2025. With a new supply chain management system capable of generating a billion tokens per second, 20 percent of the 25 million is ready to be deployed this year and the rest is due for the next.
The news outlet stated that in this context, ‘deployed’ refers to the movement of software files from a development to a production space.
“When we get to a billion tokens… it’s going to turn the Kingdom into a net exporter of compute that will be able to reach about 4 billion people from this country,” Groq CEO, Jonathan Ross reportedly said. “That’s going to be enough to support neighboring continents that allow us to support parts of Europe, parts of Africa, maybe even a little bit of India.”
Aramco Digital and Qualcomm unveil 5G 450 MHz chips, launch startup incubator
Elsewhere at GAIN, Aramco Digital unveiled the world's first processors with native support for 5G in 450MHz spectrum, developed in partnership with Qualcomm.
In a statement, the chip company said the chips have been designed to “revolutionize 5G connectivity and coverage in a single processor.”
The advanced IoT processors – Qualcomm QCS8550 and QCS6490 – will connect intelligent Edge devices using 5G modem-to-RF solutions, which include a modem, RF transceiver, TX power amplifier, RX low-noise amplifiers, filters, duplexes, and switches.
Nakul Duggal, group general manager, automotive, industrial, and embedded IoT, said: “This frequency band is particularly effective for both outdoor and indoor coverage, making it a key element of our strategy to drive digital transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
In addition to launching the chips, the two companies are also working with Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA) to launch a startup incubator program. Dubbed Design in Saudi Arabia (DISA), the program will support AI, wireless technologies, and IoT startups in the country, providing them with technical assistance, business coaching, and IP training.
The incubator’s cohorts will also have access to Qualcomm’s technology platforms and Aramco’s Saudi Accelerated Innovation Lab.
“We are excited to play a pivotal role in helping to foster the next wave of high-tech innovation in Saudi Arabia, guiding AI and IoT startups from the stages of design and product development to commercialization,” said Wassim Chourbaji, SVP & president, Qualcomm MEA. “By meeting the unique needs of the Kingdom, we aim to propel it into a future of advanced digital transformation.”
