{
  "id": 4652332,
  "title": "Saudi Arabia powers ahead in AI race with XAI expansion and NVIDIA mega factory",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/saudi-arabia-powers-ahead-in-ai-race-with-xai-expansion-and-nvidia",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-31T13:10:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Saudi Gazette",
    "slug": "saudi-gazette",
    "url": "https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/664192/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-powers-ahead-in-ai-race-with-xai-expansion-and-nvidia-mega-factory"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha inaugurated the fifth edition of LEAP 26, a global technology event, in Riyadh. The minister announced new investments and mega projects in the technology and AI sectors. XAI, a company, will expand its operations in Saudi Arabia with an initial capacity of 50 megawatts, which will increase to 500 megawatts in future phases. NVIDIA, a global leader in AI computing, announced plans to construct one of the world's largest AI factories in the Kingdom. Alswaha emphasized that Saudi Arabia has the largest, fastest-growing, and most dynamic digital economy, growing at a rate of 70 percent. Women's empowerment in the sector stands at 36 percent, making the Kingdom the leader among G20 countries in this aspect. The country has also made significant strides in space exploration, sending the first woman to the International Space Station. Alswaha further explained that Saudi Arabia continues to collaborate with international partners to drive technological advancements and hasten the adoption of AI technologies, aligning with Vision 2030 and enhancing the Kingdom's position in the global digital economy. The LEAP 26 event, now in its fifth edition, brings together over 1,000 international speakers and experts, more than 1,800 technology companies, over 600 startups, and over 1,900 investors and venture capital fund representatives. This year, the event focuses on the latest trends in technology, such as AI, cloud infrastructure, data, cybersecurity, fintech, health tech, smart cities, energy, climate, space, gaming, sports tech, and digital commerce. The event features various spaces and experiences, including \"LEAP Connect\" for networking and partnerships, \"Sports Tech Hub\" for exploring sports technology, \"World Tech Zone\" for showcasing global innovations, and \"LEAP Studios\" for creating live content. The event also has sessions dedicated to startups, investors, and announcements regarding technology initiatives and agreements.",
  "summary": "RIYADH — Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha inaugurated the fifth edition of LEAP 26, the annual global technology event, at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham on Monday. During the opening of the event under the theme \"Into New Worlds,” the minister announced a series of new investments and mega projects in the technology and artificial…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}