HP opens new manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia

Information technology company HP has opened its new manufacturing facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and confirmed an AI R&D Center of Excellence (CoE) in Dhahran, according to Gulf Industry on October 13.

The manufacturing facility, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia will a focus on desktop PCs, before expanding its product portfolio.

A facility was formally opened for business at an event hosted in Riyadh and brings production closer to demand across Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the CoE will deliver AI-powered data analysis, robotic process automation and decision-making support solutions to increase productivity across multiple sectors, including energy and healthcare.

The center also aims to invest in local Saudi talent and AI startups through collaborations with the Kingdom’s educational institutions and other HP AI labs.

“Saudi Arabia has a bright future, is developing rapidly, and needs partners who are equally willing and able to move fast, invest and commit to driving the Kingdom’s economic transformation,” said managing director of HP MENA Regional Headquarters, Fadle Saad.

“At HP, we are proud to partner, leverage our speed and scale to enable the future of work, by creating high quality jobs for Saudi citizens and contribute meaningfully to the local and national economy.”

HP Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa SVP and managing director Helena Herrero said: “By pairing expertise from around the world, with Saudi talent and local partners, we will advance practical AI and develop customer focused solutions for the future of work across the region.”

The news comes shortly after Google announced that its Gemini AI search experience will now include over 35 new languages including Arabic.

The update reportedly includes improved natural language understanding and improved handling of multimedia content.

The tech company introduced its AI Mode to the Middle East and North Africa in August 2024 in English.

The inclusion of Modern Standard Arabic marks a significant step in making searches more precise, culturally relevant, and accessible for Arabic-speaking users.

Gulf Industry, Maghrebi.org