Gulf

1. HUMAIN’s AI plans
2. Ronaldo hints at Saudi exit
3. Saudi revises GDP data
4. Military drones push spurs…
5. …new Gulf defense doctrine
6. Tech upgrades for Hajj

A towering monument for Riyadh sports.

HUMAIN plans $10B venture fund

Saudi Arabia’s new artificial intelligence platform HUMAIN plans to launch a $10 billion venture fund and build out data center capacity worth as much as $77 billion, its CEO said. The company, backed by the Public Investment Fund, is also seeking investment from US tech giants, and is in talks about joint projects with OpenAI, Elon Musk’s xAI, and Andreessen Horowitz, Chief Executive Tareq Amin told the Financial Times. HUMAIN will house Saudi Arabia’s AI services, data centers, cloud capabilities, and an Arabic large language model.

The kingdom is working to establish its tech dominance: Riyadh has emerged as the fastest-growing market for data centers in the Middle East, and aims to soon catch up with Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the race to build up the power and capacity needed to fuel the AI boom.

Ronaldo exit marks new chapter

“This chapter is over,” Cristiano Ronaldo posted to X on Monday, within hours of the Saudi Pro League’s season-ender, suggesting the Portuguese soccer star is leaving Al Nassr FC.

Ronaldo’s two-and-a-half-year, $227 million contract made the prolific goal-scorer an unlikely ambassador for the changing kingdom. Since signing with the Public Investment Fund-owned team in 2022, he has drawn fans to Riyadh who may have never otherwise visited, and pulled in TV viewers and sponsorships. He rocked a thobe and bisht on Saudi National Day and has popped up on Instagram to promote new tourism locales on the Red Sea.

His expected departure marks a new chapter for Saudi soccer as well: Though more than a half century old, the government-backed league only began investing in growing the sport in earnest two years ago, shoveling more than $1 billion into attracting some of soccer’s biggest names. The investment to make athletics an economic driver — from the addition of more bike lanes in Riyadh to mega-spending in pro sports — is evolving. As the costly contracts end (Gulf soccer leagues have cut transfer spending across the board), younger talent is being pursued over aging superstars.

Saudi gets non-oil GDP boost

The increase in Saudi Arabia’s 2023 GDP compared to its previous estimate. The data showed that the kingdom is diversifying its economy at a faster clip than previously expected, with non-oil sectors contributing 53.2% of GDP that year. The statistics authority’s adjustment — based on enhanced data collection from more than 60 entities — reflects higher spending, output, and growth in the non-oil economy. Looking ahead, Riyad Capital, a Saudi-based investment bank, said this week it forecasts a 2.4% growth rate in 2025, driven by continued private sector expansion.

Ukraine drone maker targets Gulf

A Syrian-born cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur has emerged as a major drone maker in Ukraine and plans to expand production to meet demand from Western and Gulf militaries. Khaled Alfaiomi — a pseudonym he uses out of concern for his security — is the CEO of a Kyiv-based firm building surveillance and suicide aircraft. He said in an interview with Semafor’s Mohammed Sergie in Abu Dhabi that the company plans to build a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) factory in Europe.

Drone warfare is reshaping the battlefield: This month in Qatar, former CIA Director David Petraeus called Ukraine’s progress “breathtaking,” and US President Donald Trump questioned why American contractors can’t build drones as cheaply as other countries. Alfaiomi sells a €350,000 fixed-wing reconnaissance kit with three planes that he said costs less than half the price of comparable systems.

Analysis: Drones rewrite Gulf defenses

Gulf countries have long been reliant on complex, and expensive, air defense systems. But drone warfare is forcing a fundamental rethink, Omar Al-Ubaydli, affiliated associate professor of economics at George Mason University, writes in a Semafor column.

“In short, they can deter through offense, not defense,” Al-Ubaydli wrote. “Countermeasures are still possible, but many are expensive compared to the low cost of offensive drones.”

Saudi upgrade Hajj for AI era

More than a million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Hajj rituals next week. While the traditions of the world’s largest gathering of humans remain unchanged, the experience continues to evolve: air-conditioned floors now cool the tawaf area, and golf carts assist those with limited mobility. To manage the growth — the Mataf, or circling of the Kaaba, can now handle 107,000 people per hour — the kingdom is leaning on tech solutions: rolling out interactive maps, AI-powered logistics, and drones to monitor crowds.

Tech

• Saudi Arabia with a founder’s hustle? The kingdom has the fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the world, climbing 27 places to 38th in the world this year on measures like funding, exits, and the number of companies valued at more than $1 billion, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025.
• TAMM: In Arabic it means “consider it done” and in Abu Dhabi, it’s the app for navigating a myriad of headache-inducing government services, from renewing a driver’s license to paying a water bill. After cutting the red tape at home, Abu Dhabi is looking to roll out the app in other cities around the world. — The National
• Reports of free, premium subscriptions to ChatGPT for every resident of the UAE have proven premature. The deal with OpenAI to open its first Stargate data center campus outside the US, in Abu Dhabi, may come with freebies on its $20-a-month chatbot, but negotiations are still ongoing. — The National

Sports

• Gerard Piqué’s Kings League — which drew 100 million viewers to its latest tournament — is heading to the Gulf. The seven-a-side football league, known for its gamified rules and celebrity-streamer team owners, is launching a regional edition in Saudi Arabia later this year through a joint venture with PIF’s SURJ Sports Investment.

Logistics

• Oman and the UAE are working together to improve logistics at their shared border. A joint venture led by Dubai’s DP World will develop and operate the first phase of Al Rawdah Special Economic Zone in Mahdah, Buraimi, better connecting this key point in the Gulf to Asian and African markets. — Muscat Daily

The fading buzz around Riyadh Sports Boulevard is getting a new jolt worthy of at least one more Snapchat story. The site, which initially drew crowds, has a new attraction: The Arts Tower by Abdulnasser Gharem. The 18-meter column made from steel and concrete is inspired by minarets and schoolyards. It’s his first permanent public artwork in the kingdom.

A string of crypto kidnappings across Europe and the US have put executives and investors on edge. A brutal scene unfolded in New York City over the holiday weekend, when a Kentucky man was arrested and accused of torturing an Italian tourist to obtain access to his crypto wallet, Semafor’s Rohan Goswami writes.

Concerns have grown after hackers stole from Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange, the names, addresses, and account balances of some customers. “This hack will lead to people dying,” TechCrunch founder and crypto investor Michael Arrington wrote on X.