What I’ll be watching at LEAP 2026 — beyond billions and big announcements
An article by Abdullah Al Jaafari, CEO and Founder of Resquad AI At the end of this month, Riyadh will host the fifth edition of LEAP. It is easy to forget how unlikely the first one felt back in 2022. A brand-new technology conference drew more than 100,000 registered attendees from over 80 countries to Saudi Arabia. Nobody is asking whether LEAP can attract an audience now. Last year’s edition…
Next month, Riyadh will host the fifth iteration of LEAP, a groundbreaking technology conference that drew over 100,000 attendees from more than 80 countries to Saudi Arabia last year. The event has proven that Saudi Arabia, and the wider region, can attract substantial capital, companies, and attention on an enormous scale, totaling $42.4 billion since LEAP's inception.
As a reporter covering LEAP 2026, I will be examining the event through a different lens, focusing on four key areas: infrastructure, agentic AI, Arabic-first products, and talent. First, infrastructure: while headline numbers of data centers, cloud capacity, and chip deals are impressive, the more important question is how those investments translate into actual deployments and products built in the region.
The same applies to agentic AI, where recent advancements have moved from demonstrations to real-world integration in government services. Arabic-first technology is also crucial, as it signals the region's shift towards producing its own technology rather than merely procuring it. Finally, talent will be a constant topic at LEAP, but it's essential to consider whether the Gulf can sustain the influx of imported expertise and develop its own qualified AI workforce.
Written by urgent.news from Wamda's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
