Saudi, Japan to develop digital medicine strategies

The agreement covers areas such as AI diagnostics, XR-based surgical training, medical device development, and healthcare-education platforms. (Supplied)
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Updated 10 October 2025
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Saudi, Japan to develop digital medicine strategies

  • Pact includes AI diagnostics, training, device development, and education platforms

TOKYO: Tokyo-based Medident has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia institutions to link Japan’s medical digital transformation strategy with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan.

The pact was inked at the Japan-Saudi EXPO Investment Forum, the company announced on Sept. 24.

The agreement covers areas including artificial intelligence diagnostics, surgical training, medical device development, and healthcare-education platforms.

Medident also plans to speed up clinical and educational adoption of its 3D Clone Model, a training tool that combines virtual reality with tactile simulation based on various types of medical scans.

“Our initiatives are gaining recognition both academically and at the policy level,” Medident CEO Daisuke Tomita said.

“By connecting Japan’s strengths in digital healthcare with Saudi Arabia’s reform agenda, we will build new frameworks for international co-creation.”

The deal was signed on stage at the Saudi-Japan EXPO Investment Forum with Dr. Noor A. Al-Saadoon, director of health innovation at the Biotech Center at Al-Faisal University, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Hayaza, president of Al-Faisal University.

Also in attendance were Khalid A. Al-Falih, minister of investment; KOGA Yuichiro Koga, state minister of economy, trade, and Industry; and Yumiko Tomita, director of the Japan Oral Health Association.

Medident is a part of the Mirise Medical Group, which operates clinics in Tokyo’s upmarket Minami-Aoyama and Ginza districts, focusing on orthodontics, oral health, and regenerative therapies.


PIF’s Humain invests $3bn in Elon Musk’s xAI prior to SpaceX acquisition

Updated 18 February 2026
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PIF’s Humain invests $3bn in Elon Musk’s xAI prior to SpaceX acquisition

JEDDAH: Humain, an artificial intelligence company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, invested $3 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI shortly before the startup was acquired by SpaceX.

As part of xAI’s Series E round, Humain acquired a significant minority stake in the company, which was subsequently converted into shares of SpaceX, according to a press release.

The transaction reflects PIF’s broader push to position Saudi Arabia as a central hub in the global AI ecosystem, as part of its Vision 2030 diversification strategy.

Through Humain, the fund is seeking to combine capital deployment with infrastructure buildout, partnerships with leading technology firms, and domestic capacity development to reduce reliance on oil revenues and expand into advanced industries.

The $3 billion commitment offers potential for long-term capital gains while reinforcing the company’s role as a strategic, scaled investor in transformative technologies.

CEO Tareq Amin said: “This investment reflects Humain’s conviction in transformational AI and our ability to deploy meaningful capital behind exceptional opportunities where long-term vision, technical excellence, and execution converge, xAI’s trajectory, further strengthened by its acquisition by SpaceX, one of the largest technology mergers on record, represents the kind of high-impact platform we seek to support with significant capital.” 

The deal builds on a large-scale collaboration announced in November at the US-Saudi Investment Forum, where Humain and xAI committed to developing over 500 megawatts of next-generation AI data center and computing infrastructure, alongside deploying xAI’s “Grok” models in the Kingdom.

In a post on his X handle, Amin said: “I’m proud to share that Humain has invested $3 billion into xAI’s Series E round, just prior to its historic acquisition by SpaceX. Through this transaction, Humain became a significant minority shareholder in xAI.”

He added: “The investment builds on our previously announced 500MW AI infrastructure partnership with xAI in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing Humain’s role as both a strategic development partner and a scaled global investor in frontier AI.”

He noted that xAI’s trajectory, further strengthened by SpaceX’s acquisition, exemplifies the high-impact platforms Humain aims to support through strategic investments.

Earlier in February, SpaceX completed the acquisition of xAI, reflecting Elon Musk’s strategy to integrate AI with space exploration.

The combined entity, valued at $1.25 trillion, aims to build a vertically integrated innovation ecosystem spanning AI, space launch technology, and satellite internet, as well as direct-to-device communications and real-time information platforms, according to Bloomberg.

Humain, founded in August, consolidates Saudi Arabia’s AI initiatives under a single entity. From the outset, its vision has extended beyond domestic markets, participating across the global AI value chain from infrastructure to applications.

The company represents a strategic initiative by PIF to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and reduce oil dependence by investing in knowledge-based and advanced technologies.