Intel CEO meets with Saudi government official to discuss chip partnership

[Daniel Nenni]

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan recently met with Abdullah Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, to explore potential collaboration in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing. The meeting, held in Washington, reflects both sides’ growing interest in deepening technological ties as global chip competition intensifies.

For Intel, the talks align with its broader strategy to expand foundry operations and secure new investment sources. Saudi Arabia, with its vast sovereign wealth and Vision 2030 diversification plan, offers both capital and an emerging regional hub for digital infrastructure. The discussions reportedly included opportunities for semiconductor value-chain localization, AI infrastructure development, and potential manufacturing or R&D collaboration within the kingdom.

No formal agreement has yet been announced, but the dialogue signals a significant shift toward including the Middle East in global semiconductor development. For Saudi Arabia, the potential partnership represents a major step in its bid to build a domestic chip ecosystem, attract global expertise, and reduce reliance on imported technologies. For Intel, a Saudi partnership could open a strategic funding channel and enhance its global footprint amid fierce competition from TSMC and Samsung.

Saudi minister of communications meets Intel CEO to strengthen partnership in semiconductors, AI

WASHINGTON: The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha has met Lip-Bu T・・・

www.arabnews.jp

 

[tomatoma]

Was this a visit not as an investor's LBT, but as the Intel CEO's LBT?

 

[Barnsley]

View attachment 3772

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan recently met with Abdullah Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, to explore potential collaboration in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing. The meeting, held in Washington, reflects both sides’ growing interest in deepening technological ties as global chip competition intensifies.

For Intel, the talks align with its broader strategy to expand foundry operations and secure new investment sources. Saudi Arabia, with its vast sovereign wealth and Vision 2030 diversification plan, offers both capital and an emerging regional hub for digital infrastructure. The discussions reportedly included opportunities for semiconductor value-chain localization, AI infrastructure development, and potential manufacturing or R&D collaboration within the kingdom.

No formal agreement has yet been announced, but the dialogue signals a significant shift toward including the Middle East in global semiconductor development. For Saudi Arabia, the potential partnership represents a major step in its bid to build a domestic chip ecosystem, attract global expertise, and reduce reliance on imported technologies. For Intel, a Saudi partnership could open a strategic funding channel and enhance its global footprint amid fierce competition from TSMC and Samsung.

Saudi minister of communications meets Intel CEO to strengthen partnership in semiconductors, AI

WASHINGTON: The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha has met Lip-Bu T・・・

www.arabnews.jp

Partner with the Israeli FABS?

Maybe the folks from there can help set up.

 

[coldsolder215]

Because it worked out so well for Globalfoundries.

 

[samwilde]

Well it did. Abu Dhabi funded the construction of the New York fab and FinFET processes.

 

[Daniel Nenni]

Well it did. Abu Dhabi funded the construction of the New York fab and FinFET processes.

Abu Dhabi also helped make AMD what they are today, right?

Raising money is what Lip-Bu Tan does best. Go Intel!

 

[samwilde]

AMD blew up their capital on the ATI acquisition. That is why they had to spin out the fabs.
The whole process was kind of messed up. Hector Ruiz found himself in legal trouble.

 

[Daniel Nenni]

AMD blew up their capital on the ATI acquisition. That is why they had to spin out the fabs.
The whole process was kind of messed up. Hector Ruiz found himself in legal trouble.

It was a great acquisition though. I worked with ATI on SRAM projects. Great group! AMD definitely lost focus on the manufacturing side, fabless was the right thing to do, absolutely. Even on the design side AMD struggled. Remember Bulldozer?

The TSMC / AMD partnership is definitely something to write home about!

 

[samwilde]

Yes, long term it was the right call, but they overpaid for ATI. It put the company in dire financial straits.

AMD had a string of sucesses with the K6, K7, K8.

Bulldozer (K10) was not a horrible design when it came out but it was bugged like hell. They fixed the hardware bugs in Piledriver.
The main real issue was the shared FPU unit meant it had less FPU power than equivalent Intel processors. It was great at integer however. Later Intel designs were way better though. And AMD basically stayed in place.

 

[siliconbruh999]

AMD design is really good with Zen that was not on TSMC it was on GF switching to TSMC helped them closed and than widen the gap they had with Intel. Intel's P core design are really not up to the mark while their E core design are surprisingly capable now.

 

[samwilde]

Intel did the best they could with their lousy process delay. Since they were behind in process density and power consumption they went for the whole P-core and E-core thing. This enabled them to remain competitive for this long. But they are splitting design resources this way. That has got to cost a lot.

 

[siliconbruh999]

Intel did the best they could with their lousy process delay. Since they were behind in process density and power consumption they went for the whole P-core and E-core thing. This enabled them to remain competitive for this long. But they are splitting design resources this way. That has got to cost a lot.

well not for much longer P Core and E cores are going away in favor of a unified core. I think intel said this in one of the calls.