Riyadh, September 1 HUMAIN and Applied Intuition have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking initiative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, focusing on the deployment of physical AI across various industries. This partnership marks a significant step in the integration of AI into real-world systems, with autonomous trucking being the first major application. The collaboration aims to create the world’s largest autonomous trucking network, which will be rolled out across key logistics corridors by 2030.
The initiative is part of HUMAIN’s broader physical AI strategy, which seeks to extend AI beyond the data center and into the physical systems that deliver real-world impact. By combining HUMAIN’s sovereign AI infrastructure in Saudi Arabia with Applied Intuition’s end-to-end physical AI stack, the partnership is set to build a robust framework for autonomy at a national scale.
This includes not just autonomous trucking but also future applications in robotaxis, ports, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. Autonomous trucking serves as a natural starting point for this initiative, offering a large-scale, tangible application where AI can directly influence productivity, logistics, and economic growth. Applied Intuition, which has established an office in Riyadh, brings its Self-Driving System (SDS) to the collaboration.
SDS, already in use on roads in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, will be the centerpiece of the partnership with HUMAIN. The system includes a multi-domain autonomy model that scales across industries, making it a versatile solution for various sectors.
Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN, emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating that autonomous trucking will change the economics of moving goods and people. The goal is to make Saudi Arabia the first region to deploy autonomous trucking at scale. Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, highlighted the ambition of Saudi Arabia to deploy physical AI at an unprecedented scale, marking it as the next frontier of intelligent infrastructure.
The local geography, major freight corridors, and strong investment in logistics infrastructure present a unique opportunity for the large-scale deployment of autonomous trucking. Autonomous trucks have the potential to operate for longer periods than driver-operated fleets, increasing freight capacity and fleet utilization while improving road safety and addressing workforce constraints in commercial trucking. Applied Intuition is committed to building a local team with technical capabilities in Saudi Arabia, creating high-value jobs required to launch, operate, and scale autonomous fleets.
The aim of the partnership is to position the Kingdom as a global center for autonomous logistics, with potential for future expansion across the region. This collaboration is expected to set the stage for further innovations in physical AI, shaping the future of autonomous systems in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
