Saudi tech firm HUMAIN and Applied Intuition announce a strategic collaboration to deploy physical AI at national scale, starting with autonomous trucking in Saudi Arabia and expanding to robotaxis, ports, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and other industries.

The partners aim to build the world’s largest autonomous trucking network by 2030, rolling out thousands of autonomous trucks along Saudi logistics corridors.

They emphasize Saudi Arabia’s geography, freight corridors, and robust logistics infrastructure as favorable conditions for rapid, large-scale deployment.

SDS currently operates at SAE Level 4, handling all driving within defined conditions, and continuously improves through a closed data flywheel that feeds real-world data back into simulations.

Regulatory support and sovereign capital backing from the Public Investment Fund are cited as accelerating scale relative to the U.S., where regulatory and operator constraints persist.

The system uses Applied Intuition’s Self-Driving System (SDS) with cameras and radar and end-to-end deep learning, not requiring LiDAR or pre-built HD maps.

The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on human drivers, address workforce constraints, and spur regional economic growth through enhanced logistics capabilities.

Uncertainties include the initial fleet size, prioritized corridors, fleet operators, and how quickly Saudi road conditions will be mastered by the data flywheel.

The plan aligns with goals to increase freight capacity, improve road safety, and alleviate workforce constraints through around-the-clock autonomous trucking.

Saudi freight network centers on Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, covering about 70% of domestic freight, while desert conditions pose sensor-fusion challenges that SDS aims to address via data-driven improvements.

Applied Intuition will provide its SDS, Vehicle OS, and multi-domain autonomy model to support trucking and other industries, with SDS already operating in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

The collaboration centers on Applied Intuition’s SDS and vehicle-intelligence technologies, leveraging data from every mile driven to continuously improve models through large-scale simulation and feedback.