• Kneron joins Saudi’s RELOCATE program, securing a USD 2M grant and partnering with the National Semiconductor Hub.
• The California-based edge AI firm plans to set up a Riyadh subsidiary and support Saudi’s AI industry ambitions.
• RELOCATE aims to attract 50 semiconductor firms and train 20,000 AI professionals as Saudi builds a USD 100B tech hub.

Kneron

What happened? US-based Kneron has been selected for RELOCATE, a strategic deep-tech initiative under Saudi Arabia’s National Technology Development Program (NTDP). Additionally it was awarded a non-equity grant valued at USD 2 million from the Saudi government. It was chosen for its expertise in reconfigurable Neural Processing Units (NPUs). 

This comes after Kneron partnered with National Semiconductor Hub (NSH) which works on fostering a fabless semiconductor system in Saudi. It is also working on setting up a local subsidiary in Riyadh. Furthermore, the company aims to contribute to Saudi’s technological sovereignty and aid it in building a robust AAI driven industry

Who are they? Kneron is a provider of full stack edge AI solutions based in California in the United States. It develops integrated edge AI hardware and software solutions for vehicle, security, and broader AIoT use cases.

The RELOCATE program, led by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is part of Saudi’s push to establish itself as a tech hub. This initiative aims to attract at least 50 semiconductor design companies. It also aims to develop a talent pipeline of 20,000 AI professionals by 2030.

Tech Hub

What is next? Saudi Arabia currently aims to invest USD 100 billion to build “Transcendence,” a next-generation technology hub. 

Meanwhile, Kneron aims to expand its presence in the Middle East. This through introducing its technologies into key sectors such as enterprise AI, smart cities, and digital transformation. Additionally, it aims to use the grant to establish a technological hub in Saudi Arabia. This is for advanced AI chip R&D and commercialization aiming to leverage the Kingdom’s semiconductor infrastructure and innovation ecosystem.

Bottom Line: Kneron’s involvement in Saudi’s RELOCATE program reflects the kingdom’s ongoing efforts to localize advanced tech industries.  As the kingdom doubles down on semiconductor design and AI infrastructure, partnerships like this offer an early glimpse into how its ambitions are translating into real global traction.