Amazon’s deal with Saudi Arabia’s AI company Humain to create an “AI Zone” in the kingdom is just the latest example of the tech industry’s morally bankrupt pursuit of Saudi money, argues Brian Kahn in MIT Technology Review.
Six years after the murder and dismembering of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudi crown prince, Amazon is now pledging to put $5bn into deals with the Saudi government, including the building of data centres.
Many projections suggest that oil production will peak and begin to decline in 2030, leading the Saudi government to pursue other revenue streams, including ambitious plans to build a futuristic smart city called Neom.
However, the country is coming up against the same issue that has hit other governments involved in such ventures, namely a talent and skills deficit, especially in the tech sector.
Despite the reservations of many companies and individuals, including those at the highest levels of the US, there is still a strong desire to do business with the kingdom, with Softbank and its Vision Fund park at the centre of many of these deals.