LEAP Conference

The LEAP Conference is an international event centered on the future of technology and its impact on human prosperity. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology hosted its inaugural edition in 2022 in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme "One Eye on the Stars," in partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones.

LEAP aims to enhance Saudi Arabia's position at the international level and become a hub and a true destination for global technological innovation. Moreover, it seeks to enable and develop the latest global technologies, thus achieving Saudi Vision 2030, diversifying the economy, and increasing the contribution of the digital economy to Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product (GDP).

LEAP Conference brought together over seven hundred world-leading technology companies, over 350 local and international speakers, and more than two hundred investors, including major investors in venture capital and six platforms. The conference discussed various topics, including digital economy, the Internet of Things, biological and health technologies, quantitative sciences, smart exploration and unmanned systems, space and satellites, as well as financial technologies and open sources.

Among the local entities that participated in the conference were: the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha'at), Qiwa, a platform of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Ministry of Education, the Advanced Electronics Company (AEC), which is one of the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) companies, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

LEAP Conference launched several initiatives and programs, including the Saudi Ignite Program, with a budget of around SAR4.2 billion to organize and activate the digital content market in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the conference released thirty-six diverse initiatives that focused on funding, organization, training, and qualification.

Funding initiatives included the financing and establishment of investment funds to develop local content, and promote growth in the video, audio, gaming, and digital advertising industries. On the other hand, regulatory initiatives amend regulations and legislation, facilitate work laws, and protect data, privacy, and property rights in a way that boosts the growth of digital content. Training and qualification initiatives provide training opportunities and educational grants for digital content.

All LEAP Conference's initiatives, across their four tracks: games, video, audio, and digital advertising, contribute to triple the size of the digital content market in Saudi Arabia by 2030, in addition to opening new markets and creating jobs in the digital content sectors.

The second edition of the LEAP Conference was held between February 6 and 9, 2023, at the Riyadh Front Convention and Exhibition Center under the title Into New Worlds. More than seven hundred speakers from over fifty countries and more than nine hundred global and local companies participated in the conference.

Within the activities of the second edition of LEAP Conference 2023, the Rocket Fuel competition was held, in which ninety tech startups competed for prizes amounting to about USD1 million. Moreover, the conference also witnessed investments and technical initiatives amounting to about USD9 billion.

In 2021, Apple has chosen the capital, Riyadh, as the headquarters for the Apple Developer Academy, in partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, represented by Tuwaiq Academy and Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. The academy is the first in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The third edition of the LEAP conference took place from March 4 to 7, 2024, under the theme "New Horizons." The event welcomed around one thousand global and local technology companies, along with one thousand experts and speakers representing 180 countries. Together, they explored the future of technology and artificial intelligence, while showcasing cutting-edge innovations. A highlight was DeepFest, held under the theme "AI Beyond Imagination," which hosted 150 speakers and 120 exhibitors covering a new AI-related topic every day. The conference also featured dedicated platforms and theaters offering training programs and innovation sessions, with active participation from leading AI startups and tech companies worldwide.

The fourth edition of LEAP conference was held from February 9 to 12, 2025, under the theme "Into New Worlds." It brought together representatives from eighteen countries, one thousand international speakers and tech experts, 1,800 exhibitors, and nearly 680 startups. The event also featured a prize pool of USD1 million.