From global technology leaders and investors to live robotics, gaming, sport and future mobility, LEAP 2026 opens its landmark fifth edition with four days of major announcements, technology and new experiences across Riyadh
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 30 August 2026: LEAP 2026 opens its doors in Riyadh tomorrow, marking the landmark fifth edition of an event that has grown into one of the world’s largest gatherings of the global technology community. Since launching in 2022, LEAP has grown rapidly in scale and international reach, drawing technology companies, investors, startups, speakers and innovators from around the world.
LEAP 5 will welcome global technology leaders, investors, founders and innovators for four days of major announcements, live demonstrations and conversations across AI, advanced computing, mobility, gaming, sport and emerging technology. The programme will span 16 stages and more than 20 content tracks, alongside new zones and experiences that reflect how LEAP has evolved over its first five editions.
The Main Stage will feature some of the most influential voices shaping the global technology landscape, including H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD; Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco; and Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN. They will be joined by futurist and theoretical physicist Michio Kaku; Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga; and senior leaders and voices from companies including NVIDIA, Google, Roblox, Uber, Meta, Lenovo, Nokia and Luma AI.
With Saudi Arabia’s Year of AI providing a wider backdrop to the fifth edition, AI will run throughout the programme, speakers and experiences at LEAP 2026, with a particular focus on how the technology is moving beyond discussion and into real-world application.
Beyond the headline discussions, LEAP 2026 will bring technology to life through some of the event’s most eye-catching experiences. At Tech Arena, Unitree robots will take to the floor for live dance demonstrations, alongside AGIBOT’s A2 Ultra humanoid robot and COGNIXION technology that enables users to communicate with and control devices using brain signals.
The Future Mobility Zone will bring robotaxis, autonomous delivery drones and flying taxis to the show floor, while GameX Creative will feature new game reveals, LEAP’s Roblox obstacle course and an ESL FACEIT esports racing simulator experience. SportsHub will put visitors in the driving seat through an interactive F1 experience powered by Saudi Motorsport Company and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, including a racing simulator and an interactive journey through Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The new LEAP Studios will serve as a live hub for podcasts, interviews and creator-led content from across the event.
Global capital and startup growth will also be firmly in focus, with 1289 investors from 1016 firms representing a combined US$14.5 trillion in assets under management confirmed to attend. Rocket Fuel will see 100 finalists compete for a US$1 million equity-free prize pool following more than 3,000 applications, while Ecosystem Xchange will create further opportunities for founders to access new markets and build partnerships. LEAP Connect will provide a dedicated space for the international technology community to connect beyond the stages, bringing founders, investors and technology leaders together across the four days.
Beyond the venue, LEAP Nights will extend LEAP 5 across Riyadh from 30 August to 4 September, with 60 events across more than 15 venues bringing networking, business, culture and entertainment into the city. The programme will span executive and investor gatherings, founder and VC experiences, cultural activations and community events, giving the global technology community further opportunities to connect while experiencing Riyadh beyond the show floor.
The programme will also connect LEAP with experiences beyond the event itself through a new strategic motorsport partnership between LEAP Nights and F1 Saudi Arabia Motorsport, giving LEAP attendees access to a 20 per cent early-bird ticket offer for the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2027 in Jeddah.
Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice-President and Co-Creator of LEAP, said: “Five years ago, together with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and SAFCSP, we set out to create a place in Riyadh where the global technology community could come together and turn ambition into meaningful action. What LEAP has become since then goes far beyond its scale. It is about the people who connect here, the partnerships that begin here and the opportunities that continue long after the doors close. Tomorrow, we open our fifth edition, bringing the world’s technology community together once again and reflecting the extraordinary progress of both LEAP and Saudi Arabia’s technology ecosystem.”
For more programme details, please visit onegiantleap.com.
About LEAP:
Saudi Arabia’s desire to shoot for something beyond the realms of the possible presents the ultimate backdrop for LEAP.
LEAP showcases the Kingdom’s technology ambition on a global stage as it continues to grow as a hub connecting three continents. The figures speak for themselves as LEAP 2025 had an attendance of over 200,000, making it the most attended tech event in the world. LEAP features the inspiring tech of tomorrow across all major sectors including health, finance, energy, education, digital entertainment, transport, smart cities and more. The event is also led by a speaker faculty of globally celebrated technology innovators, focusing on the most innovative tech case studies from around the world.
LEAP is not like any other tech event, from the ground up the community, stakeholders and project team are challenged every day to do something wildly creative and bold, something that reflects the seismic advances in tech adoption being seen in Saudi Arabia.
About Tahaluf:
Headquartered in Riyadh, Tahaluf brings together strategically important commercial communities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf region, and from around the world to a portfolio of world-class exhibitions and digital platforms.
Tahaluf is a joint venture partnership between Informa PLC, the world’s largest trade show organiser, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Events Investment Fund (EIF). Sela, the Saudi-owned event production company renowned for its creation of spectacular event experiences, intends to join the joint venture in the near future.
Tahaluf is responsible for the award-winning tech events LEAP, DeepFest and LEAP East, as well as Money 20/20 Middle East, the Global Health Exhibition, Cityscape Global, Black Hat MEA and CPHI Middle East.
For more information about Tahaluf, visit https://tahaluf.com