Adobe extends Saudi partnership with $4 billion AI access plan

Adobe has announced an expansion of its partnership with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and government-backed AI firm Humain, committing over $4 billion to provide citizens with one year of free access to its AI-powered tools. This outreach aims to grant more than 27 million eligible Saudi nationals and residents complimentary access to Adobe Firefly Standard subscription tier and Adobe Express Premium features.

Together, Adobe and Humain developed a new image generation model tailored for Saudi culture, backed by the nation's sovereign wealth fund. This model will empower users to craft culturally appropriate images using Arabic-language prompts. The free access is set to begin in late 2026. Adobe and Humain initially unveiled their collaboration in November, which focused on supporting Humain's Arabic content generation tools and those for the wider Middle Eastern region.

This extended partnership is anticipated to bolster Adobe's user base for AI products and tools, which is crucial for the company as it navigates a competitive design software industry where smaller firms are rapidly gaining market share.