YEREVAN — The construction of a major artificial intelligence (AI) center in the city of Hrazdan is approaching its final stage, according to Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry, Mkhi- tar Hayrapetyan. In a Facebook post, Hayrapetyan said he visited the site together with Firebird AI co-founder Alexander Ye- sayan to review preparations for the facility’s official launch and assess in- frastructure readiness. “This project is not only a power- ful architectural structure but also one of the most important cornerstones of Armenia’s future technology-driven economy,” Hayrapetyan wrote. “Our strategic goal is to transform the coun- try into a global ‘garden of AI facto- ries,’ where advanced computing capa- bilities, local talent, and an innovative ecosystem work together in syn- ergy.” According to the minister, the first phase of the project involves an investment of $500 million, while total in- vestments are expected to reach approximately $4 billion upon completion of the second phase. The facility is expected to become the largest AI infrastructure project in the region. Once operational, it will cover 200,000 square meters and uti- lize more than 6,000 NVIDIA Black- well GPUs. Hayrapetyan noted that by the end of 2027, the number of GPUs is pro- jected to exceed 100,000, including NVIDIA Blackwell and Vera Rubin processors, placing Armenia among the world’s top five countries in terms of AI computing capacity. “Through the joint cooperation of the Armenian government and Firebird AI, Armenia is transforming from a consumer of technology into a country capable of offering advanced AI solu- tions and technological products to the world, ready to help shape the rules of the future,” he wrote.