LEAP 2026: Saudi Arabia’s Largest Investment Driver in the ICT Sector
The fifth edition of the LEAP technology conference became the largest investment driver in the history of Saudi Arabia’s ICT sector, with Riyadh announcing the attraction of nearly $15 billion in investments and agreements over just four days—a step reflecting the Kingdom’s accelerating push toward building a digital economy based on artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Massive Investments in Digital Infrastructure
The announcements made during LEAP 2026, which concluded on September 3 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, included major projects to expand data centers and develop computing and AI capabilities.
On the domestic data center front, Architectural Information Systems Company announced a $1.2 billion investment to expand its data centers and raise their operating capacity to 192 megawatts. NHC Innovation also revealed an $800 million investment to develop the Khuzam Digital Valley, with scalable capacity reaching 65 megawatts by 2033.
Microsoft Opens a New Cloud Region in November
Among the most prominent announcements at the conference was Microsoft’s confirmation that its new cloud data center region “Saudi Arabia East” in the Eastern Region will become available to customers during November 2026.
The new region includes three availability zones for the Azure platform, enabling government entities and private sector institutions to run cloud workloads and AI applications locally within the Kingdom, with advanced levels of security, resilience, business continuity, and low latency.
Eng. Nasser Al-Nasser, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology for Technology, said that “making the Microsoft cloud region available represents an important step to accelerate AI adoption and enable innovators and entrepreneurs to create new growth opportunities and enhance competitiveness.”
Amazon and Adobe Strengthen AI Presence
On the major cloud investment front, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced plans to launch its first cloud infrastructure region in the Kingdom during December 2026, with a planned investment exceeding $5.3 billion. AWS also expanded its partnership with HUMAIN to provide up to 50 megawatts of capacity within the Kingdom’s first AI region by 2028, including making the Arabic “ALLAM” model available via Amazon Bedrock.
In the creative industries sector, Adobe committed more than $4 billion as part of an expanded partnership with the Ministry of Communications and HUMAIN. By the end of 2026, the partnership will give more than 27 million eligible citizens and residents over the age of 13 free access to Adobe Firefly Standard and Adobe Express Premium features for 12 months, along with developing the first image generation model using Adobe Firefly Foundry with a design reflecting Saudi culture.
Aramco Strengthens Technology Partnerships
On the sidelines of the conference, Saudi Aramco and its subsidiary Aramco Digital announced the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding with leading technology companies, focusing on cybersecurity, industrial AI, innovation, localization of vital technologies, and building national industrial capabilities.
Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said he had personally witnessed the major progress the Kingdom has achieved in developing its digital infrastructure and ICT sector, noting that LEAP 2026 represents an important platform for envisioning the future by bringing together ideas, talents, and global and local partnerships.
Sixth Edition in April 2027
At the conclusion of its proceedings, LEAP 2026 announced that its sixth edition will be held from April 12 to 15, 2027, to continue building global partnerships, attracting investment, enabling innovation and talent, and enhancing the Kingdom’s leading position in the intelligent era.
Sources
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Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – Official statement on the conclusion of LEAP 2026
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Saudi Press Agency (SPA) – Report on the opening of LEAP 2026 and its investments
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Asharq Al-Awsat – Report on the Microsoft cloud region
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Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – Microsoft statement on the cloud region
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GCC Business News – Report on the conclusion of LEAP 2026
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Saudi Press Agency – Report on Aramco agreements
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Al-Nahar Newspaper – Report on Microsoft
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Al Arabiya Channel – Report on the cloud region
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Al-Rai Newspaper – Report on Al-Suwaha’s speech
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Economy Middle East – LEAP 2026 closing report
