«LEP 2026» Concludes with Investments and Launches Totaling Nearly $15 Billion... Next Edition in April 2027

The “LEAP 2026” conference yesterday, Thursday, marking the conclusion of its fifth edition. The event was organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, “Tahaluf,” and the Investment Events Fund, under the slogan “To New Worlds,” marking global technological and investment momentum that reinforced the Kingdom’s position as a leading hub for the digital economy and artificial intelligence.
Over the course of four days at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, the conference witnessed announcements, investments, and agreements totaling nearly $15 billion, covering AI infrastructure, data centers, cloud computing, high-tech manufacturing, and venture capital, as well as broad initiatives to develop national capabilities and align them with the needs of the labor market and promising sectors.

Artificial Intelligence Tops Conference Announcements
Investments in artificial intelligence and infrastructure topped the conference announcements, through a network of partnerships launched by “Humane” with a number of major global technology companies to develop AI data centers, cloud infrastructure, models, enterprise solutions, and proprietary technologies.
The announcements included the establishment and expansion of high-capacity data centers, and the development of computing and AI infrastructure, along with the announcement that the Microsoft Azure cloud region will become available in the Kingdom in November 2026, which will enhance local data hosting and support the growth of cloud services and digital sectors.
Al-Maamar Information Systems also announced investments worth $1.2 billion to expand its data centers and increase their capacity to 192 megawatts, while NHC Innovation announced an investment of $800 million to develop “Khuzam Digital Valley” with capacity expandable to 65 megawatts by 2033.

Among the most notable cloud investments, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of its first cloud infrastructure region in the Kingdom in December 2026, as part of a planned investment exceeding $5.3 billion, in addition to expanding its partnership with “HUMAIN” to provide up to 50 megawatts of capacity within the Kingdom’s first artificial intelligence zone by 2028. The collaboration includes making the Arabic language model “Allam” via Amazon Bedrock, and making HUMAIN Fabric available through the AWS Marketplace, thereby enhancing advanced computing capabilities and enabling various sectors to develop and deploy AI solutions on a large scale.

Empowering Developers
In the area of developer empowerment, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Digital Cooperation Organization, and AMD launched an open ecosystem to accelerate innovation in artificial intelligence, providing open-source tools, training programs, and community engagement initiatives for developers, startups, and software engineers.
The initiative provides access to AMD’s AI Developer Program, the company’s portfolio of computing technologies, and the AMD ROCm open-source software ecosystem, as well as the Digital Cooperation Organization’s tools for AI ethics and governance; this builds local capabilities and supports the transformation of technology investments into applications and services capable of global growth and expansion.
The conference also saw Snowflake expand its operations in the Kingdom with a $300 million investment through 2030, which includes opening its regional headquarters, launching two additional cloud regions, and training 25,000 beneficiaries, as well as HPE’s expansion of the “Made in Saudi Arabia” initiative, the launch of an innovation center in collaboration with Intel, and the localization of advanced storage and server solutions.
Highlights included the “LEAP 2026” conference the achievements of national technology manufacturing, including the unveiling of the first Lenovo laptop manufactured in Riyadh as part of its partnership with “Alat,” a move that reflects the Kingdom’s progress in localizing technology industries, developing national talent, and transferring knowledge and expertise.

Creative Industries
In the creative industries sector, Adobe announced a commitment worth over $4 billion as part of the expansion of its partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and “Humane.” The partnership includes providing Adobe Firefly Standard and Adobe Express Premium features free of charge for 12 months to more than 27 million eligible citizens and residents aged 13 and older by the end of 2026, as well as the development of the first image-generation model using Adobe Firefly Foundry, designed in partnership with “Humane” to reflect Saudi culture and the local context and support the production of creative, Saudi-themed content using text prompts in Arabic.
Venture capital investments, funding rounds, and funds announced at the conference totaled approximately $857 million, supporting the growth and expansion of tech companies and startups from the Kingdom into global markets, including the artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, and deep tech sectors.
On the capacity-building front, the closing day saw the launch of a network of academies and initiatives in partnership with major global tech companies, including an initiative to make Gemini technologies available to more than one million students at Saudi universities, the ServiceNow Academy, which targets one million learners, and the “1,000 for Applied Generative AI” initiative in partnership with Scale AI to train 100,000 beneficiaries by 2030.

Launch of Digital Initiatives
The launches included the Intel Digital Readiness Initiative, which aims to train 100,000 participants in specialized artificial intelligence tracks, and an innovation ecosystem in collaboration with Snapchat targeting 20,000 beneficiaries, in addition to initiatives, academies, and centers of excellence to develop the skills of students, faculty, and professionals; empower women; and promote research, expertise, and specialized content in artificial intelligence.
His Excellency the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawah, affirmed that the achievements of the fifth edition of the “LEEP” conference embody the support and empowerment provided by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince —may God protect him—for building a competitive digital economy and cementing the Kingdom’s position as a global hub for technology and artificial intelligence.
His Excellency said: “This year’s edition witnessed global investment and technological momentum, with investments and launches ranging from infrastructure, cloud computing, and data centers to advanced technologies and venture capital, alongside unique initiatives that invest in people and develop the capabilities of the Kingdom’s sons and daughters; this enhances the Kingdom’s competitiveness and positions it to lead opportunities in the smart era.”
He added: “Over the course of five editions, LEAP has transformed into a global platform that brings together innovators, investors, and technology makers from more than 165 countries, and connects capital with talent and promising opportunities, thereby supporting the growth of the digital economy and creating a sustainable impact that extends from the Kingdom to the world.”

Global Business Platform
For his part, Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tahali, emphasized during the closing ceremony that “LEEP” was founded to serve as a global business platform that brings together companies, investors, customers, and technology innovators in one place, noting that the sustainability of the events is based on an investment model that achieves economic and commercial impact and serves all stakeholders in the ecosystem.
Al-Khamisi highlighted the growing impact of the conferences in attracting international investors and visitors, stimulating the hospitality, aviation, transportation, and services sectors, and providing business opportunities for Saudi companies. He emphasized that the success of “LEEP” has contributed to building a Saudi brand that has expanded internationally with the launch of “LEEP East” in Hong Kong, which attracted more than 25,000 visitors in its inaugural edition.
For his part, “Tahaluf” CEO Michael Champion explained that the 2026 edition is considered the best since the conference’s inception, emphasizing that “LEEP” has become a leading model for the exhibitions and conferences industry in the region.
He noted that “LEEP” launched in 2022 as the world’s largest tech conference to debut globally, and then, in its second edition, became the most-attended tech conference in the world. He noted that the five editions have hosted nearly 5,000 speakers and witnessed deals and announcements totaling nearly $60 billion.
He reported that the 2026 edition brought together participants from more than 165 countries and hosted more than 1,300 speakers and over 1,500 investors managing assets worth more than 18.3 trillion dollars, underscoring the conference’s global standing and its role in connecting capital with promising technology opportunities.
At the conclusion of the event, the conference announced that the sixth edition of “LEP” will be held from April 12 to 15, 2027, to continue building global partnerships, attract investment, empower innovation and talent, and strengthen the Kingdom’s leadership in the smart era.