LEAP 2025 Tech Conference, the fourth iteration of this event, and organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and others, has seen over $22 billion in commitments across a broad range of tech sectors.
In his keynote remarks opening the LEAP ’25 conference held under the theme “Into New Worlds,” Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha noted that, “the region is witnessing rapid transformations in the digital economy sector, as it has grown by 73 percent to reach $260 billion, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 50 percent of this growth, making it one of the leading countries in this field. The number of technical specialists has increased from 150,000 to 381,000, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s rapid growth in the fields of technology and innovation.”
Valued at $132 billion currently, Saudi Arabia is the largest digital economy in the MENA region.
Organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, and the Tahaluf Company—a joint venture between SAFCSP and Informa PLC, supported by the Events Investment Fund, LEAP ’25 opened with an impressive series of agreements and investments totaling $14.9 billion and focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital transformation.
According to Argaam, Day 1 investment announcements included:
- Groq & Aramco Digital: A $1.5 billion investment in AI-powered cloud computing, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global leader in AI.
- Alat & Lenovo: A $2 billion investment to establish an advanced AI and robotics-based manufacturing and technology center in the Kingdom, alongside the opening of Lenovo’s regional headquarters in Riyadh.
- Google: A significant investment in AI infrastructure, launching a global AI hub in Saudi Arabia to meet regional and international demand.
- Qualcomm: Unveiled the introduction of the ALLaM language model on Qualcomm AI Cloud to deliver cutting-edge hybrid AI solutions and enable real-world solutions to empower developers and accelerate tech.
- Alibaba Cloud: Announced an AI empowerment program in Saudi Arabia, collaborating with Tuwaiq Academy and STC to train local talent in advanced technologies, shaping a sustainable digital future.
- Databricks: A $300 million investment in Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions, supporting app developers and fostering data engineering and AI expertise to expand the Kingdom’s digital economy.
- SambaNova: A $140 million commitment to build advanced AI infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the Kingdom’s role as a regional innovation hub.
- KKR & Gulf Data Hub: Announced an investment in Saudi Arabia’s data center development, with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts, boosting cloud computing and AI capabilities.
- Salesforce: Announced a $500 million investment in the Hyperforce platform, to serve regional customers from Saudi Arabia.
- Tencent Cloud: Invested $150 million to launch its first cloud region in the Middle East from Saudi Arabia, leveraging AI capabilities.
- DataVolt, in collaboration with NEOM, announced a significant investment of $5 billion to establish the first fully sustainable AI data center in OXAGON, with a capacity of 1.5 GW. This cutting-edge facility aims to become a global hub for advanced computing and innovation.
- Alfanar revealed a $1.4 billion investment to develop four data centers, with a total capacity of 88 MW. This initiative will support the growth of the digital economy and the development of business solutions in Saudi Arabia.
- Mobily committed $905 million to develop key projects, including submarine cable networks and advanced data centers.
- Zoom pledged $75 million to drive AI innovation and establish new data centers, strengthening support for tech enterprises and government entities, which will further fuel digital expansion in the region.
- Saudi Arabia Railways announced a $51 million investment in a private fiber-optic network aimed at enhancing digital connectivity and expanding the country’s communications infrastructure.
- SkyFive unveiled a $100 million investment in non-terrestrial network services. This will focus on pioneering Advanced Air Mobility solutions and driving innovation in this field.
- HPE announced the expansion of “Made in KSA” in the region, and the localization of HPE Aruba solutions to enhance infrastructure with security-first and AI-powered networking.
Billed as the most attended tech event in the world with over 215,000 in attendance at 2024’s edition, this year’s conference is held at LEAP’S new Tech Arena, a dedicated space for advanced multi-sector technology demonstrations. More than 1,800 tech brands and 680 start-ups are exhibiting at LEAP 2025 this year alongside 1,000-plus expert speakers across 15 stages.
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