https://arab.news/7jnm5
- First international edition of LEAP conference opens in Hong Kong as Kingdom showcases AI infrastructure, digital economy growth
- Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha said the conference has evolved from a Riyadh-based event into a global technology platform
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s flagship technology conference, LEAP, opened its first international edition in Hong Kong on Wednesday, marking its expansion beyond the Kingdom as Riyadh seeks to strengthen technology partnerships across Asia.
Speaking at the opening of LEAP East, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha said the conference has evolved from a Riyadh-based event into a global technology platform, adding that its expansion reflects the region’s growing role in shaping the future of technology and artificial intelligence.
Al-Swaha said that under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia is building one of the world’s most accessible, AI-ready digital infrastructures, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner in the digital economy and a bridge between East and West.
The minister said the East represents a $34 trillion economy, accounting for nearly 30 percent of global gross domestic product, with a $10 trillion digital economy and a population of 3.7 billion, or about 46 percent of the world’s population, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Swaha emphasized that the East offers not only scale but is also laying the foundation for the AI age. He said the East is home to 82 percent of the world’s AI patents, accounts for 60 percent of the global semiconductor market, and produces 90 percent of advanced chip manufacturing.
The minister also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s progress in developing its digital economy and AI-ready infrastructure. Al-Swaha said the Kingdom’s digital economy has grown by 75 percent over the past eight years to reach $139 billion, while the non-oil digital economy now contributes 16 percent of GDP.
Saudi Arabia’s operational data center capacity has reached 467 megawatts, representing 47 percent of the Middle East and North Africa’s total capacity, he added.
On digital infrastructure, Al-Swaha said the Kingdom plans to build 6.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2034, including 3 GW by 2030, supported by 12.8 GW of available power capacity.
He said the Kingdom brings together the three key elements needed for the AI era: compute, customers and capital.
The minister added that major companies from the East, including ByteDance, Lenovo and Tencent, have already begun investing and expanding in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Swaha also highlighted the growth in women’s participation in the Kingdom’s technology sector, noting that female representation in the information and communications technology workforce had risen from 7 percent to 35 percent, surpassing the averages of both the EU and Silicon Valley. He added that Saudi women now rank among the world’s leaders in AI participation and empowerment.
The three-day conference, running from July 8 to 10, also features Saudi and international technology companies.
Among them is Saudi digital solutions company Elm, the event’s official business solutions partner, showcasing live demonstrations of its digital government and AI solutions, including interactive dashboards and computer vision models trained to predict operational processes.