Saudi Deal With Huawei for Arabic-Specific AI Risks US Ire

Saudi Arabia said it would partner with Huawei Technologies Co. to develop Arabic-language recognition in artificial intelligence, potentially putting the kingdom at odds with the US, a key partner that’s pushing its allies to avoid the Chinese company.

Majid Altuwaijri, chief executive of the kingdom’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence, announced the memorandum of understanding during a virtual conference alongside Charles Yang, Huawei’s Middle East regional president.

Altuwaijri said that researchers from Saudi Arabia and Huawei would develop “state of the art products that will support humanity,” focusing on artificial intelligence technology “specialized in the Arabic language.”