LEAP 2026 closes with nearly $15bn in AI and infrastructure announcements
By Cicada DeskEvent date: 1 min read
Added to the archive: Last verified:
In brief
The fifth LEAP, under the theme 'Into New Worlds', ran from 31 August to 3 September 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, and closed with nearly $15 billion in launches, investments and agreements, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Asharq Al-Awsat, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The fifth LEAP, under the theme 'Into New Worlds', ran from 31 August to 3 September 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, and closed with nearly $15 billion in launches, investments and agreements, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Asharq Al-Awsat, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Enterprise reported that the event had been pushed back from its original April slot because of the regional war.
Final figures cited 1,323 speakers and 1,397 investors. Announcements included AWS's Saudi region in December 2026, Microsoft's region in November 2026 and a commitment of more than $4 billion from Adobe as part of an expanded partnership with MCIT and HUMAIN, including free Adobe Firefly and Express features for more than 27 million eligible residents.
LEAP 2027 is set for 12-15 April 2027.
Key figures
- $15bnannounced investments and agreements
- 1,323peoplespeakers (final count)
Sources
This report is compiled from the sources below. Cicada links to every source we rely on.
- 1Saudi secures new compute offtakers and builders at LEAP Enterprise · 4 Sept 2026
- 2LEAP 2026: Saudi Arabia Leads AI Era with Over $15 Bn in Technology Launches, Investments Asharq Al-Awsat · 31 Aug 2026
- 3LEAP 2026 Concludes with Nearly $15 Billion in Investments, Agreements; 2027 Edition Set for April Asharq Al-Awsat · 4 Sept 2026
- 4With HRH the Crown Prince's Support, Saudi Arabia Leads AI Era with Over $15 Billion in Technology Launches, Investments at LEAP 2026 Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) · 31 Aug 2026
- 5LEAP 2026: Saudi Arabia's AI blueprint comes into focus Majalla · 9 Sept 2026
Archive report. Written in 2026 from contemporary sources and dated to the day the event happened.
Cite this story
Cicada Desk. "LEAP 2026 closes with nearly $15bn in AI and infrastructure announcements". Cicada, 31 August 2026. https://cicadaconsultancy.online/en/news/leap26-opens-riyadh
Free to quote and reuse with attribution under CC BY 4.0.
