Adobe to offer free access to AI tools in Saudi Arabia in $4 billion deal

Aug. 31 (Reuters) - Adobe said on Monday it has expanded its tie-up with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Saudi government-backed AI firm Humain to provide citizens with 12 months of free access to its AI-powered tools.

The company said it plans to offer over 27 million eligible Saudi citizens and residents free access to its Adobe Firefly Standard subscription tier, plus Adobe Express Premium features, including a new image generation model "tuned to Saudi culture." Its commitment is valued at more than $4 billion.

The image model is jointly developed by Adobe and Humain, backed by Saudi's sovereign wealth fund, and will allow users to create "culturally aligned" images using Arabic-language prompts.

The free access will start rolling out by the end of 2026, Adobe said.

The companies had announced their partnership in November, aiming to boost Humain's development of tools for generating content in Arabic and for the broader Middle East region.

For Adobe, the expanded partnership is expected to aid user growth for its AI products and tools, crucial for driving growth in a crowded design software industry where smaller firms have been gaining share rapidly.