Saudi Arabia is accelerating its bid to become a global AI leader with the upcoming launch of a pioneering voice-controlled operating system. Developed by Humain, an AI startup backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the system marks another stride in the Kingdom’s push to drive innovation and economic diversification.

According to Reuters, Humain’s debut product, Humain 1, is designed as an alternative to traditional icon-based systems such as Windows and macOS, which have dominated personal computing for decades. Instead of clicking on icons, users will interact with their computers using natural voice commands.

“Rather than looking at icons where you click for discrete applications, now you speak your intent,” Reuters quoted Humain CEO Tareq Amin as saying during the Fortune Global Forum in Riyadh.

Humain aims to become the first company to officially launch a fully voice-driven operating system, even as global tech players race to develop similar technologies. The company also plans to build around 6 gigawatts of data center capacity to power its expanding AI ecosystem.

Founded in May under the PIF and chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Humain focuses on developing advanced Arabic language models and large-scale AI infrastructure. Its long-term vision is to position Saudi Arabia as a global AI hub by 2030—driving local innovation, generating intellectual property, and attracting top global talent and investment.

A Humain spokesperson told Reuters that “the company started developing the new operating system shortly after it launched in May and has been testing it internally for payroll and human resources systems.”

The firm recently signed strategic agreements with the FII Institute and center3, a digital infrastructure provider owned by stc Group, to advance AI connectivity and research. In August, it launched Humain Chat, an Arabic AI app powered by Allam 34B, touted as the world’s largest Arabic-language model.