Tabby Sets Up AI Hub in Saudi Arabia, Teams with NVIDIA for Local Expansion

Tabby, the well-known buy-now-pay-later platform across the GCC, is taking a big step into the world of artificial intelligence with plans to set up an AI factory in Saudi Arabia. Powered by NVIDIA’s high-performance HGX systems, the move is meant to help the company train and run AI models locally—keeping data within the Kingdom’s borders while speeding up development at the same time.

From what’s been shared, this new setup will first focus on sharpening Tabby’s tools in areas like customer support, fraud detection, risk management and shopping personalisation. Running these systems inside Saudi Arabia should also mean less lag and smoother compliance with regional rules on data residency, which have become a bit of a hot topic lately.

It’s not just Tabby getting in on the action, though. Saudi Arabia has been busy building sovereign AI infrastructure and already works closely with NVIDIA on several data projects. The Kingdom seems dead set on creating an ecosystem that runs on local computing muscle rather than depending entirely on servers abroad. And frankly, that’s spot on if data control and security are your top priorities.

Tabby’s decision probably isn’t just about tech buzzwords either. With over 20 million registered users and more than 40,000 merchants around the Gulf, the company faces constant pressure to enhance the user experience while staying one step ahead of fraud. It recently raised a cool $160 million in a Series E round, pushing its valuation to about $3.3 billion. Insiders have even whispered that an IPO might not be too far down the road.

For those unfamiliar, NVIDIA’s HGX platform is basically a workhorse for serious computing—clusters of GPUs communicating at high speed to handle massive AI workloads. It’s the same kit used by some of the world’s largest data centres. Seeing this kind of power deployed locally in the region is, I reckon, a clear nod to how serious fintech players have become about homegrown innovation.

Interestingly, Cloudera is also setting up shop in Saudi to bolster enterprise AI adoption across sectors like oil, finance and healthcare. Their centres will reportedly start at 100 megawatts each—quite the figure if you think about it—with ambitions to grow as part of the wider push for nearly two gigawatts of AI infrastructure by 2030.

All in all, it’s refreshing to see such momentum building in the region. Not so long ago, access to top-tier AI resources felt like a bit of a faff for local startups. Now, with companies like Tabby leaning in and governments throwing support behind ambitious digital projects, the MENA AI scene finally feels like it’s getting its moment in the sun—or, well… under the desert sky. And here at Arageek, we can’t help but feel chuffed to bits watching it all unfold.

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