LEAP tech summit returns to Riyadh after five-month postponement

After a five-month postponement caused by the war, Saudi Arabia’s premier technology conference, LEAP, is back in Riyadh on Monday. Organisers promote the show as the globe’s most visited tech event, noting that more than 200,000 visitors attended the previous edition and that the first four gatherings generated over $42 billion in announced investments. The lineup includes chief executives Tareq Amin of HUMAIN, Cisco’s Chuck Robbins and AMD’s Lisa Su, who will address the audience.

Central to this year’s program is the Public Investment Fund’s AI champion, which launched a Qualcomm-powered prototype last September and plans to reveal a market-ready successor at the summit. LEAP also stands out as the biggest Gulf event to resume after the conflict, while other regional gatherings, such as Abu Dhabi’s startup forum, have surprised organizers by attracting larger crowds than expected.