LEAP Returns to Riyadh in March for its Third Edition

Riyadh will host the third edition of LEAP, the world’s most attended tech event, from March 4 to 7. (SPA)
Riyadh will host the third edition of LEAP, the world’s most attended tech event, from March 4 to 7. (SPA)
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LEAP Returns to Riyadh in March for its Third Edition

Riyadh will host the third edition of LEAP, the world’s most attended tech event, from March 4 to 7. (SPA)
Riyadh will host the third edition of LEAP, the world’s most attended tech event, from March 4 to 7. (SPA)

Riyadh will host the third edition of LEAP, the world’s most attended tech event, from March 4 to 7.

Held under the theme "Into New Worlds", the event is organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, Tahaluf company, and the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha'at).

According to a press release issued by the organizing committee of the event, this year’s edition features expert speakers such as IBM Chairman Arvind Krishna, HPE CEO Antonio Neri, and Zoom Video Communications CEO Eric Yuan.

The event is slated to cover a wide array of topics across multiple stages, including Investor Stage and Main Stage, with discussions following web 3, unicorns and tech giant strategies, and user privacy in technology, along with a large variety of tracks, such as EduTech, RetailTech, FinTech, HealthTech, 4IR, Future Energy, and Smart cities.

DeepFest returns for its second edition at LEAP, in partnership with Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA); more than 150 speakers and 120 exhibitors will take part.

AI is the focus of the event. The dawn of AI, foundations and breakthroughs; AI achievements, applications and impact; AI frontier, innovations and emerging technologies; and AI’s future, collaborations, ethics and sustainability will be tacked over the course of the four days.

LEAP will host more than 1,800 global tech exhibitors, such as Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, Cisco, Avaya, SAP, ServiceNow, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Alibaba, and Huawei.

Vice Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Haitham AlOhali said: “We welcome thought leaders, influencers, investors, and innovators from around the world to LEAP. This edition arrives at a time when variables are accelerating, and generative artificial intelligence is a critical turning point at the economic and social levels.”

“The event will feature 10 stages discussing various aspects of technology, including health, education, and e-commerce,” he added.

Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones CEO Muteb Alqani said: “We are keen to present a special experience to our visitors, as we will gather top speakers and tech experts from around the world.”

“This event has been created to empower technology globally; therefore, the upcoming edition brings together the largest tech companies, startups, and investors, all under one roof, which has the potential to lead to numerous investments and launches,” he stated.

Over 1,000 speakers, 600 startups, and 172,000 are expected to attend the event.



Saudi Arabia, Italy Sign MoU to Strengthen Collaboration in Renewable Energy

The MoU focuses on key areas such as energy transitions and security, renewable energy and electricity interconnection. SPA
The MoU focuses on key areas such as energy transitions and security, renewable energy and electricity interconnection. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Italy Sign MoU to Strengthen Collaboration in Renewable Energy

The MoU focuses on key areas such as energy transitions and security, renewable energy and electricity interconnection. SPA
The MoU focuses on key areas such as energy transitions and security, renewable energy and electricity interconnection. SPA

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has met in Riyadh with Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin to explore avenues for cooperation across various energy sectors.

The two sides signed on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Italy, serving their shared interests.

The MoU focuses on key areas such as energy transitions and security, renewable energy, electricity interconnection, energy efficiency, geothermal energy, methane emissions reduction, advancing energy storage solutions, petroleum, natural gas, and conventional and transitional fuels.

It also addresses enhancing the stability and reliability of petroleum and natural-gas markets, reducing market volatility, and improving energy supply security and supply chains.
The agreement highlights innovation and technology, such as hydrogen project development, climate-change mitigation solutions, the circular carbon economy, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Additionally, it emphasizes digital transformation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence in the energy sector while fostering joint initiatives to support engineering and construction projects in energy. These efforts align with the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.