How Saudi Arabia is diversifying away from oil — and betting big on AI

Core Insights - Saudi Arabia is actively diversifying its economy beyond oil, with over 50.6% of its economy now "completely decoupled" from oil revenues [2] - The kingdom is focusing on fast-growing sectors such as artificial intelligence, aiming to be a "key investor" in AI applications and data centers [3] - The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is leveraging oil revenues to acquire stakes in various sectors, including technology and sports [5][6] Economic Diversification - More than half of the Saudi economy is now independent of oil, with 40% of government revenue coming from non-oil sources [2] - The country reported a 1.3% rise in GDP for 2024, driven by a 4.3% increase in non-oil segments, while oil activity fell by 4.5% year on year [5] Investment in AI - Saudi Arabia is expected to gain over $135 billion by 2030 from AI investments, supported by its energy surplus [4] - The kingdom plans to build data centers at a competitive cost, aiming to lead in AI development [3] Public Investment Fund Activities - The PIF has made significant investments in tech giants and sports, including stakes in Electronic Arts and a takeover of Newcastle United [6]