LEAP 2026 Set for Riyadh, August 31 to September 3

Saudi Arabia's flagship technology conference returns for its fifth edition, running from August 31 to September 3, 2026, at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, Riyadh. Organizers are billing it under the theme "Into New Worlds," with artificial intelligence positioned as the centerpiece of the program.

The AI focus is deliberate. Saudi Arabia has designated 2026 as the year of artificial intelligence, and LEAP's dedicated AI track, DeepFest, will run alongside sessions on fintech, healthtech, sports, space, gaming and infrastructure.

Scale and attendance

Organizers expect more than 1,000 speakers and over 200,000 visitors from 180 countries across the event. Sixteen platforms and more than 20 content tracks are planned, covering the breadth of LEAP's usual sector mix.

Investor turnout figures vary depending on the source. One account puts expected investor attendance at 1,900, while another cites 1,289 confirmed investors representing 1,016 companies with roughly $14.5 trillion in combined managed assets. Both figures come from organizer-linked reporting, and the gap likely reflects different snapshots (projected versus confirmed) rather than a factual error, but readers should treat the larger number as an estimate rather than a final count.

There's a similar discrepancy around the calendar. The main conference is dated August 31 to September 3, but a companion program called LEAP Nights is scheduled from August 30 to September 4, spanning 60 events across more than 15 locations in Riyadh. The two schedules appear to be complementary rather than conflicting: LEAP Nights functions as an extended fringe program bracketing the main conference dates.

Startups and funding

Around 600 startups are expected to take part. A notable draw for founders is the Rocket Fuel competition, which will bring together 100 finalists selected from more than 3,000 applications to compete for $1 million in non-dilutive funding.

Who's behind it

LEAP is organized jointly by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and events company Tahaluf. No public registration link has been published yet in the sources reviewed; prospective attendees should watch LEAP's official channels for ticketing details as the date approaches.

For founders, investors and AI teams weighing which Gulf tech event to prioritize in 2026, LEAP's combination of scale, government backing and dedicated AI programming through DeepFest makes it one of the region's largest gatherings on the calendar.