LEAP 2026 in Riyadh Unveils Over $15bn in Tech Deals

Riyadh's flagship technology event LEAP 2026 has announced technology launches, investments and partnerships worth more than USD 15 billion, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and advanced digital infrastructure. The fifth edition runs from 31 August to 3 September 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham, Riyadh.

Among the headline announcements is the Khuzam Digital Valley data center project, with a total planned investment of SAR 3.3 billion to be developed across multiple phases. The development is led by NHC Innovation, with NAVER Innovation and BytePlus named as initial anchor technology partners for the project.

NHC Innovation plans to invest around USD 880 million in data centers at Khuzam Digital Valley, targeting 65 MW of capacity by 2033. The project is designed to add cloud and artificial intelligence workload capacity within Saudi Arabia's digital infrastructure.

Beyond Khuzam Digital Valley, LEAP 2026 also featured large-scale AI data center projects involving entities such as HUMAIN, stc Group, DataVolt and Together AI, with capacities ranging from 55 MW to 360 MW and long-term targets reaching up to 1 GW of computing capacity. As part of its wider strategy, Saudi Arabia has allocated 80 square kilometres of land and more than 12 gigawatts of power capacity for large-scale AI data centres.

The event drew over 1,800 technology companies, 600 startups, around 1,000 to 1,900 investors and more than 1,000 speakers, with investors collectively representing over USD 14.3 trillion in assets under management. For residents and businesses across the Kingdom, the wave of new data center and AI projects signals expanding local digital capacity, more technology jobs, and stronger cloud services delivered from within Saudi Arabia.

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