AI chip startup MemryX and Lenovo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deploy locally operated Edge AI solutions across Saudi Arabia and support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy.

The agreement builds on joint platform deployments already operating in the country and creates a framework for the companies to pursue opportunities across infrastructure, industrial operations, smart cities, and video management. 

The joint platform combines the Lenovo ThinkEdge SE455 V3 rugged Edge server with the MemryX Cascade 100P AI accelerator to process video and sensor data on site. MemryX said this helps organizations reduce latency, maintain greater control over their data, and limit reliance on centralized, power- and cooling-intensive AI infrastructure.

The joint platform is already operating in large-scale infrastructure programs in Saudi Arabia. MemryX said one of these projects for an unnamed company delivers real-time construction safety analytics, including personal protective equipment compliance and site safety event detection.

A second deployment, also for an unnamed company, operates in a port environment, running compliance and site-monitoring workloads across the operator's existing camera infrastructure without disrupting ongoing operations.

Ross Jatou, MemryX CEO, said: “Working with Lenovo demonstrates how quickly MemryX technology can move from evaluation into demanding, real-world deployments.

"Together, we are delivering high-density, power-efficient AI inference close to customer operations and establishing a platform that can scale from Saudi Arabia to markets worldwide."

Salman Faqeeh, vice president of Lenovo in Saudi Arabia, said: "We're seeing growing interest from organisations across Saudi Arabia that want to use AI in practical ways, whether that's improving safety, making operations more efficient, or gaining faster insights from their data.

"We're already seeing this deployment help customers improve safety and efficiency in real operating environments across Saudi Arabia. The fact that these deployments are already operating in Saudi Arabia shows how quickly organizations are moving from AI experimentation to real-world adoption."

Lenovo and MemryX also want to explore rack-scale server configurations for computer vision inference, supporting potential regional and global go-to-market opportunities.

The MoU aims to support Vision 2030, an ambitious modernization initiative launched in 2016 to diversify the economy away from oil dependence and establish the Kingdom as a technology hub.

MemryX raised $44 million in a Series B funding round last year. In total, the company has brought in $63 million to support development of its technology.

Learn more about the data center market in Saudi Arabia and meet with other executives and experts in the region at the DCN Riyadh event next year.