KSA This Week: A 250 MW AI build-out, $2.6bn in new contracts, and 600 regional HQs in Riyadh
This week from the Kingdom: Humain awarded contracts to build 200 megawatts of new data-centre capacity, on top of 50 megawatts already under way, as Saudi Arabia builds out the compute behind its AI plans. Saudi contractors won 11 projects worth SR9.75 billion ($2.60 billion) in July, taking the year to 97 awards worth more than SR111.3 billion. Fintech lending to industrial projects doubled to a record SR541 million ($144 million) in the first half. More than 600 companies now hold a regional headquarters licence in Riyadh, and flexible office space is how many of them land. Saudi Arabia and Syria signed road and rail agreements, Australia and the Kingdom deepened a new trade corridor with more than 11,000 Australians already working here, and New Murabba named a new acting chief executive. Here is what matters for employers and businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Technology & AI
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250 MW of Humain data-centre capacity now contracted or under construction |
Humain, the AI company owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has awarded contracts to Al Moammar Information Systems (MIS) to build data centres with 200 megawatts of capacity. That comes on top of 50 megawatts already under construction, roughly quadrupling the company's pipeline. MIS told the market the contracts are worth more than 689 percent of its 2025 revenue of SR1.3 billion, and expects to sign within two weeks before engineering and construction work begins in phases.
The Kingdom's installed data-centre capacity is forecast to rise from about 410 megawatts today to 1 gigawatt by 2030. Alvarez & Marsal estimates that delivering half of the capacity announced so far would need up to $42 billion of project capital by 2030, including $32 billion of debt.
Building at that pace needs electrical and mechanical engineers, project managers, technicians and data-centre operations teams.
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The TASC Take Data centres are one of the tightest talent markets in the Kingdom right now — electrical and mechanical engineers, HV technicians, commissioning specialists and 24/7 operations crews. Sourcing and mobilising those teams under Saudisation, fast, is exactly where TASC helps. |
Source: AGBI
Projects & Construction
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$2.60bn of new contracts awarded to Saudi contractors in July across 11 projects |
Saudi Arabia's contracting sector stayed busy in July. The Saudi Contractors Authority reported 11 projects worth more than SR9.75 billion ($2.60 billion) awarded during the month, across building and construction, infrastructure, and water and energy. That takes the total since the start of the year to 97 projects with a combined value above SR111.3 billion.
Building and construction took the largest share with seven projects worth SR6.59 billion, or 67.6 percent of July's value. Riyadh led by region with seven projects worth SR7.5 billion, followed by Hail with three worth SR1.88 billion. The Royal Commission for Riyadh City awarded the most work at SR2.79 billion, ahead of Cluster2, the Diriyah Gate Development Authority and PIF. The authority expects 11 more awards in August.
Every award turns into a mobilisation plan on site.
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The TASC Take Contract awards land months before the people do — and site teams, engineers and supervisors are needed the moment mobilisation starts. Recruiting, payrolling and iqama-ready mobilisation at that speed is what TASC does for contractors in the Kingdom. |
Source: Arab News
Industry & Finance
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SR541m of fintech financing to Saudi industrial projects in H1 2026, up 130% |
Financing provided by Saudi fintech companies to industrial projects rose 130 percent in the first half of 2026 to a record SR541 million ($144 million), up from SR234 million a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. The first-half figure is already about 70 percent of the SR774 million lent across the whole of 2025.
The ministry now works with seven fintech partners, up from three a year ago — Tameed, Tarmeez Finance, Dinar, Forus, Yanal, Sukuk and Lendo. The products include working-capital financing, invoice financing and funding for factory expansion. The ministry has also shared its factory database with lenders. Separately, the Saudi Central Bank is consulting on draft rules for supply-chain finance.
Easier funding lets smaller manufacturers expand — and expansion means hiring.
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The TASC Take When small and mid-sized manufacturers can finally fund working capital and expansion, the next constraint is people — operators, technicians and supervisors. TASC helps industrial employers add headcount quickly without taking on the payroll and compliance burden. |
Source: Arab News
Workplace & Talent
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600+ companies now under Riyadh's Regional Headquarters Programme |
More than 600 companies now sit under Saudi Arabia's Regional Headquarters Programme in Riyadh, and how they take office space is changing. Prime office rents in the capital rose 3 percent to SR3,320 ($887) per square metre in the second quarter, with Grade A occupancy in districts such as King Abdullah Financial District above 90 percent.
With almost nothing available, flexible workspace has become the landing platform. Rafal Real Estate Development now allocates 15 to 20 percent of gross leasable area in new commercial projects to flexible operators. Its chief executive, Elias Abou Samra, says multinationals now drive demand where government and local firms once did, and that arriving companies need to open in 30 days, not 12 months. A building with 40 percent flexible space can host about 1.5 times more companies than a traditional single-tenant model.
Space follows headcount — and headcount is the harder problem.
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The TASC Take A company that can sign an office in 30 days still needs staff, iqamas, GOSI registration and payroll running in the same window. TASC gives new entrants an EOR and staffing route so they can hire in Saudi Arabia before the entity paperwork catches up. |
Source: Arab News
Trade & Global Ties
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11,000+ Australians working across Saudi Arabia in mining, health, engineering and tech |
Australia and Saudi Arabia are building out a direct trade link. The first Saudia Cargo freighter, a Boeing 747-400, landed at Melbourne's Avalon Airport on 25 July 2026 and flew back loaded with Victorian lamb and farming equipment. The service went from a signed memorandum to scheduled operations in 46 days.
Sam Jamsheedi, president of the Australian Saudi Business Chamber, said the corridor is changing the economics and reliability of trade between the two countries. More than 11,000 Australians now work across Saudi Arabia in mining, healthcare, education, engineering and technology. Australian firms on the ground include Perenti, Byrnecut, Worley, Woods Bagot, Servcorp and Aspen Medical, while Sydney-based hearing implant maker Cochlear set up its regional headquarters in Riyadh in 2023.
New corridors bring new employers — and new hiring, relocation and payroll questions.
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The TASC Take Foreign firms entering the Kingdom hit the same three questions: how do we hire, how do we pay people compliantly, and how do we meet Saudisation. TASC answers all three from day one, with or without a local entity. |
Source: Arab News
Logistics & Transport
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2,552 km of Syrian rail network covered by the new road and rail agreements |
Saudi Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al-Jasser and his Syrian counterpart Yarub Badr signed two memoranda of understanding in Damascus covering road and rail links between the two countries. The agreements support studies for rehabilitating Syria's road and railway infrastructure, and set out steps to make truck-driver visas easier so goods move more freely in both directions.
Syria's railway network runs to 2,552 kilometres, but roughly half of it is currently out of service. Syria and Lebanon have also set up a joint technical team to work on a shared road and rail plan. Separately, Visa completed the first live international card transaction test in Syria, working with Fransabank Lebanon and Paymera, a step toward reconnecting the country's payments system.
Overland routes north are a live part of Saudi supply-chain planning.
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The TASC Take As Saudi trade routes widen, logistics operators need drivers, warehouse teams, customs coordinators and planners — often at short notice and across several regions. TASC recruits, payrolls and mobilises those teams Kingdom-wide. |
Source: Arab News
Giga-Projects
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$50bn value of the New Murabba redevelopment of downtown Riyadh |
New Murabba, the $50 billion redevelopment of downtown Riyadh, has named Sabah Barakat as acting chief executive, replacing Michael Dyke, who had led the project since January 2024. Barakat is a senior Public Investment Fund executive and is also acting group chief executive of Roshn Group.
Announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in February 2023, New Murabba covers about 14 square kilometres and is planned to hold 18 communities and more than 400,000 residents. Its completion date was pushed back to 2040 in October 2025. Work on the Mukaab — the 400-metre cube at the centre of the scheme — has been paused since January 2026, while development of the surrounding district continues. PIF has asked its portfolio companies for spending cuts of at least 20 percent.
Giga-project leadership changes usually mean a change in hiring rhythm.
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The TASC Take When giga-projects re-phase, employers need workforce models that flex — scaling teams up or down without long-term liability. Contract staffing and EOR let developers and contractors match headcount to the programme as it moves. |
Source: AGBI
Technology & AI
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400m+ Arabic speakers targeted by the Allam model going onto Microsoft's platform |
Humain and Microsoft are working together to put Allam, Saudi Arabia's Arabic-language large language model, on Microsoft's global platform. Allam will be distributed through Microsoft Foundry and integrated into the Microsoft 365 Copilot ecosystem for workplace agents. The model was built on work originally developed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, and targets more than 400 million Arabic speakers with better handling of regional dialects and cultural context.
Microsoft vice-chair and president Brad Smith said the tie-up helps organisations across Saudi Arabia build AI that understands local language and context. Humain was launched by the Public Investment Fund in May 2025 to build AI across data centres, compute, models and applications, and already works with Nvidia, AMD and Amazon Web Services.
Arabic-first AI tooling changes what Saudi employers can automate in-house.
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The TASC Take As AI moves into Saudi workplaces, the scarce skill is people who can deploy and govern it — data engineers, AI product owners and change leads. TASC helps employers hire that capability on contract while they work out what to build permanently. |
Source: AGBI
TASC in Saudi Arabia
Hiring for Saudi Arabia's next build-out
From 250 megawatts of new data-centre capacity and $2.6 billion of fresh construction awards to 600 regional headquarters in Riyadh, employers in the Kingdom need people fast — and fully compliant on Saudisation, GOSI, WPS and PRO. TASC helps you source, mobilise and payroll the right team anywhere in Saudi Arabia.
TASC Outsourcing — People for Tomorrow. Contract staffing, permanent hiring, payroll and EOR across Saudi Arabia.
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