SAN DIEGO — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious AI-driven transformation is gaining momentum, with Qualcomm Technologies playing a pivotal role in guiding the country toward its hybrid AI future. Through their collaboration, Saudi Arabia is setting itself up to be a global leader in innovation, with the nation’s strategic vision proving to be an inspiration for other nations striving to build localized AI capabilities.

At the LEAP Conference, the Kingdom and Qualcomm introduced the ALLaM PC, a groundbreaking AI-powered PC featuring the first-ever national Large Language Model (LLM), ALLaM, designed to run offline directly from the device. This milestone was one of the key announcements from Qualcomm Incorporated’s CFO and COO, Akash Palkhiwala, on the conference’s opening day.

The ALLaM PC is a direct result of Saudi Arabia’s focus on developing a new AI ecosystem, in partnership with Qualcomm’s expertise in connectivity, high-performance computing, and low-power intelligence. Powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors, the device allows users to run ALLaM locally on the device, ensuring a private, responsive user experience.

Further underscoring Qualcomm’s role in Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, the company also unveiled a collaboration with Aramco Digital to create the world’s first 5G-enabled industrial smartphones, with native support for 450 MHz. This collaboration marks an important milestone in advancing the Kingdom’s digital future, with the 5G industrial network designed to power a wide range of applications. Along with Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development, and Innovation Authority (RDIA), Qualcomm and Aramco also launched the Design in Saudi Arabia with AI (DISAI) initiative. This program aims to support AI and IoT startups within the Kingdom by providing both technical and business resources.

These efforts build upon Qualcomm’s previous work in the region, including its September announcement with Aramco and RDIA on the deployment of AI-powered industrial IoT solutions, which focus on improving operational safety and sustainability.

The ALLaM PC and Qualcomm’s other contributions to Saudi Arabia’s tech landscape are also expected to usher in a new era of hybrid AI, where AI workloads are distributed between the cloud and edge devices such as smartphones, PCs, and IoT devices. This hybrid approach is seen as essential for generative AI to scale effectively while meeting both enterprise and consumer needs for privacy, security, and performance.

Additionally, to foster innovation in hybrid AI, Qualcomm is offering developers access to the Qualcomm AI Hub. This ecosystem, which has already grown to include over 1,400 companies, will now support ALLaM’s integration, enabling developers to create and deploy models on Qualcomm-powered devices. Developers will also get a chance to explore the possibilities of ALLaM at Qualcomm’s Developer Day, taking place on February 10 during LEAP.

Qualcomm’s advancements in hybrid AI are also complemented by the launch of the ALLaM Developer Playground, an innovative cloud environment powered by Qualcomm Cloud AI. Hosted in a state-of-the-art data center within Saudi Arabia, the platform offers developers a chance to work with hybrid AI tools and create on-device AI applications for a range of sectors.

The unveiling of these technologies at the LEAP Conference reinforces the growing collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies and Saudi Arabia, showcasing their shared commitment to the country’s Vision 2030 initiative. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, 5G, and hybrid computing, both Qualcomm and the Kingdom are setting the stage for global technological leadership, driving progress toward a smarter, more connected future.

As this partnership evolves, it highlights Saudi Arabia’s position at the forefront of digital transformation, ensuring the Kingdom remains a key player in the global AI landscape.