LEAP 2026 opens in Riyadh for fifth edition
Saudi Arabia's flagship tech event returns with 16 stages, $14.5tn in attending investor assets and a $1m startup prize.
LEAP returns to Riyadh on 31 August for its fifth edition. The four-day event has grown since its 2022 launch into one of the largest gatherings in the global technology calendar, drawing companies, investors, founders and innovators. Its programme runs across 16 stages and more than 20 content tracks, covering AI, advanced computing, mobility, gaming, sport and emerging technologies.
The Main Stage will feature Saudi Arabia's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Alswaha; AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su; Cisco chair and CEO Chuck Robbins; and HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin. Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, LaLiga president Javier Tebas, and senior leaders from NVIDIA, Google, Roblox, Uber, Meta, Lenovo, Nokia and Luma AI are also due to speak. Saudi Arabia's Year of AI frames the conference, with attention on AI moving from conversation into practical use.
Capital is a major part of the event. LEAP has confirmed 1,289 investors from 1,016 firms, representing $14.5 trillion in combined assets under management. More than 3,000 teams applied to Rocket Fuel; 100 finalists will now compete for $1 million in equity-free prizes. Ecosystem Xchange and LEAP Connect will give founders access to new markets, partnerships and direct conversations with investors.
Annabelle Mander, LEAP's executive vice-president and co-creator, said the event was built with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and SAFCSP to give the global technology community a place in Riyadh to convert ambition into action. She described the value of LEAP as extending beyond scale to the people, partnerships and opportunities that continue well after the show floor closes.
The show floor itself will be dense with demonstrations. Tech Arena will stage live dance routines from Unitree robots, AGIBOT's A2 Ultra humanoid robot, and COGNIXION's brain-signal control technology. The Future Mobility Zone will feature robotaxis, autonomous delivery drones and flying taxis. GameX Creative includes new game reveals, a Roblox obstacle course and an ESL FACEIT esports racing simulator. SportsHub will run an interactive Formula 1 experience powered by Saudi Motorsport Company and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, including a racing simulator and a journey through the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. LEAP Studios will host podcasts, interviews and creator-led programming across the four days.
Off-site, LEAP Nights spreads the event across Riyadh from 30 August to 4 September. Sixty events across more than 15 venues will include executive and investor gatherings, founder and VC sessions, cultural activations and community events. A new partnership between LEAP Nights and F1 Saudi Arabia Motorsport gives attendees a 20 percent early-bird discount on tickets to the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2027 in Jeddah.
