Scale AI to open Riyadh office, following regional deals
San Francisco-based Scale AI reveals Saudi plans ahead of Trump visit
#SaudiArabia #expansion - San Francisco-based data and AI company Scale AI, will establish a Riyadh office by year-end as part of a strategic Middle East expansion plan, according to comments made to Bloomberg. The Amazon-backed AI startup, which helps companies develop AI products through data labelling services, also confirmed plans for a United Arab Emirates office, though without specifying a timeline. Scale AI recently signed a five-year deal with Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to integrate artificial intelligence into public services.
SO WHAT? - Scale AI's Saudi office plans signal the that its expansion into the Middle East is getting traction. So far the company has prioritised Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, signing its first big government deal with Qatar’s government in February. The company’s announcement about a new office in Riyadh, of course, coes against the backdrop of the Kingdom’s massive digital transformation effort. However, the timing this week is no doubt planned to coincide with the visit of President Trump to Saudi Arabia tomorrow.
US data and AI company Scale AI, will establish a Riyadh office by year-end, according to comments made to Bloomberg. The company also confirmed plans for a second regional base in the UAE solidifying its Middle East footprint.
The San Francisco-based startup was founded in 2016, and specialises in providing high-quality labelled data essential for training artificial intelligence systems, with an impressive client roster including tech giants Microsoft, OpenAI, and financial institutions like Morgan Stanley.
The company's confirmed Riyadh office is part of a strategic Middle East expansion, and aims to serve Saudi Arabia's rapidly developing technology sectors and extensive digital transformation programmes.
Scale AI's Middle East expansion follows recent significant regional partnerships, including a five-year agreement with Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to develop over 50 AI applications for enhancing government services.
In March 2025, Scale AI formed a strategic partnership with Inception, a company under Abu Dhabi-based G42, to develop high-impact AI solutions for government, investment, corporate and healthcare applications, including the creation of industry-specific evaluation datasets.
Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang recently served as a keynote speaker at Web Summit Qatar earlier this year, where the company was a key sponsor, further demonstrating its commitment to expanding its regional influence.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
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