The oil and gas division of Saudi Aramco, Aramco Digital, announced a series of agreements with companies operating in the field of AI and wireless technologies. According to Datacenter Dynamics, the company has signed memorandums of understanding with Cerebras Systems, the development of advanced AI model Norous with Groq, and cooperation in the field of 5G technologies with Qualcomm.
Aramco is state-owned and is the world’s largest oil and gas producer, with the world’s second-largest proven crude oil reserves. Its Aramco Digital division is an attempt to diversify its business by focusing on the development of information technology.
Collaboration with Cerebras Systems will provide high-performance AI solutions to industry, universities and commercial enterprises in Saudi Arabia. As part of the agreement, the company will use Cerebras CS-3 computing systems on WSE-3 super accelerators in the cloud business to accelerate the creation, training and implementation of large language models and AI applications. Meanwhile, the partnership with Groq will help Aramco Digital bring Norous’ voice-controlled AI model to market.
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In the future, there are plans to create a supply chain management system capable of generating billions of tokens per second. According to Arab media, for now Aramco Digital plans to provide up to 25 million tokens by the end of the first quarter of 2025, and this year it will provide 20% of the stated figures. Groq says the company aims to become an exporter of computing power to about 4 billion people, enough for “nearby continents” and to power parts of Europe, Africa and perhaps even parts of India.
Also, together with Qualcomm, Aramco Digital is using 5G chips for the 450 MHz frequency range. Qualcomm QCS8550/QCS6490 IoT solutions will support smart devices with edge computing capabilities. The solution includes a number of components, from the modem to the transmitter itself, amplifier and signal filtering systems, as well as other elements. Experts say this range can be used effectively both indoors and outdoors, making the new solution a critical element of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation.
The partners are also working on a “startup incubator” with the Saudi Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA). The Design in Saudi Arabia (DISA) program will support startups developing and implementing AI, wireless technologies and the Internet of Things, providing them with technical assistance, business coaching and other assistance. Incubator residents will also have access to technology platforms from Qualcomm and Aramco Saudi Accelerated Innovation Lab. This is expected to stimulate a new wave of technological innovation in Saudi Arabia and the commercialization of startup developments.