Rebellions, South Korea’s AI semiconductor startup, has officially established a corporate entity in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a major step in its Middle East expansion strategy.
The company announced the move on August 19, highlighting that this Saudi subsidiary will accelerate the supply of its neural processing unit (NPU) products to Aramco’s AI data center and strengthen partnerships with local companies and institutions.
A company spokesperson explained, “As Saudi Arabia is a market that values face-to-face communication and close business relationships, Rebellions has established this entity as part of its localization strategy. We will accelerate adoption tests, joint projects, and recruit local talent to drive sustainable sales growth.”
This follows a USD 14.4 million strategic investment from Wa’ed Ventures, Aramco’s venture capital arm, in July 2024, and a subsequent memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aramco to supply customized AI semiconductors. Since then, Rebellions has provided products for Aramco’s data centers, with proof-of-concept trials confirming their operational efficiency.
Building on its successful collaboration with Aramco and prior commercialization in South Korea with leading telecom operators, Rebellions is also exploring partnerships with Saudi telecom providers. Additionally, the startup has joined forces with global semiconductor giant Marvell to roll out AI infrastructure solutions tailored for the Middle East.
Park Sung-hyun, CEO of Rebellions, stated: “This corporate establishment will be a significant starting point for responding to the rapidly growing sovereign AI demand and delivering meaningful results.”
With a localized sales and technical support system now in place, Rebellions is positioning itself as a key player in Saudi Arabia’s emerging AI-driven semiconductor ecosystem.
