There are technology conferences that showcase innovation, and there are conferences designed to move capital. LEAP increasingly belongs to the second category.
When the event was conceived in 2020 and held for the first time in Riyadh in 2022, Saudi Arabia was still establishing its credentials as a global technology destination. Five editions later, that argument is becoming considerably easier to make.
LEAP 2026, held from 31 August to 3 September under the theme 'Into New Worlds', brought together more than 1,800 technology companies, over 600 startups, around 1,000 speakers and more than 1,900 investors and venture capital representatives. Attendance has risen from more than 100,000 visitors at the inaugural edition in 2022 to 172,000 in 2023 and 215,000 in 2024, while the 2025 edition attracted a record number of senior visitors.
Scale, however, is only part of the story.
Originally published by African Business.