Samer Choucair: HUMAIN Enters the ”Operating System” Battle and Redraws the AI Map
Investment expert Samer Choucair believes Saudi Arabia's HUMAIN entering the AI computer market, with a device it is developing in partnership with Qualcomm to run AI models locally, represents a development that goes beyond launching a new gadget, since it reflects the Kingdom's attempt to own a larger share of the digital value chain, from infrastructure and computing to models, software, and hardware.
HUMAIN, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund and launched on May 12, 2025, announced it is working with Qualcomm on the next generation of AI computers, combining central, graphics, and neural processing to run models directly on the device itself, with further details expected during the LEAP conference in Riyadh starting August 31.
Choucair said the significance of the move lies in the attempt to redefine the relationship between the user and the computer, so that "intent" becomes the interface instead of traditional applications. This step comes alongside a global shift toward agentic artificial intelligence, which doesn't just answer questions but carries out a chain of tasks on the user's behalf.
HUMAIN is already building an integrated system spanning infrastructure, data centers, the cloud, models, and applications. It has also launched the ALLAM 34B model and the HUMAIN Chat app, while previously unveiling HUMAIN One as an AI based operating system.
Choucair believes this integration changes the capital allocation equation, since future value won't necessarily concentrate in chip companies or models alone, but could increasingly shift toward companies that control the operating layer and the interface connecting the user to the model, data, and services.
Choucair adds that investment in Saudi artificial intelligence is expanding from data centers to software, hardware, and supply chains, with HUMAIN's partnerships with global tech companies such as NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm creating an ecosystem that could benefit the energy, telecommunications, data center, and digital services sectors.
Choucair affirms that the real test won't be the media success of the device's launch, but its ability to achieve institutional and commercial adoption, lower the cost of executing tasks, and build a developer and services ecosystem capable of generating recurring revenue.
HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin's announcement of an ambition to list the company on the Saudi market and Nasdaq within three to four years also opens an important future door to subjecting the business model to public market standards, from revenue growth and capital efficiency to profit margins and governance.
Samer Choucair concludes that "Saudi Arabia isn't just betting on owning an AI model, it's trying to build a complete layer stretching from computing to the user. If this infrastructure turns into a real usage standard and measurable revenue, the investment value will extend beyond the device itself to a fully integrated digital ecosystem."