LEAP 2025 All Set To Venture "Into New Worlds” In Riyadh

LEAP, Saudi Arabia’s award-winning global tech event, is all set to return to the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham for its fourth edition from February 9-12, 2025.

The world’s most attended tech event, LEAP 2025 will be held under the theme "Into New Worlds." It is set to attract more than 680 startups, over 1,000 expert speakers, and more than 1,800 global tech brands, with an expected surge in valued interactions between exhibitors and visitors.  

Co-organized by the Saudi Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP), and Tahaluf, LEAP 2025 – which will be the event’s first partially ticketed installment – will host talks across 20 stages, covering sectors like space, gaming, education, and smart cities. It will also feature the return of DeepFest, the world’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) conference, as well as a newly launched Sports Tech track. Also debuting at LEAP this year is a dedicated Tech Arena, along with LEAP Nights, which is set to give attendees time to network and socialize beyond convention halls.

HE Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, emphasized LEAP’s role in defining the Kingdom’s future, saying, “LEAP has made an outstanding contribution to the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, and it has rightly positioned the country as a global technology hub. The decision to introduce new ticketed options this year makes LEAP more of an exclusive experience for attendees, and relevant to today’s global technology elite. LEAP 2025 will showcase exceptional technology innovations, business opportunities, and content — ensuring Saudi Arabia becomes the world’s undisputed technology aggregator.”

Michael Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, Saudi Arabia’s largest B2B event organizer that’s behind iconic brands in this space like LEAP, Cityscape Global, and Black Hat MEA, agreed with Alswaha, saying, “Transitioning to a ticketed model will allow exhibitors and participants to benefit from direct access to a highly engaged and laser-focused audience, leading to more meaningful collaborations and business opportunities. This change reflects our commitment to delivering an event that continues to set the gold standard for tech innovation globally.”

He added, “In the space of just three years, LEAP delivered an incredible public and private onsite investment totaling more than US$27.5 billion, set ever higher benchmarks for tech events worldwide, and delivered economic impact that stretched well beyond the exhibition and conference floors. With our new strategically focused format, we expect to accelerate the investment stream and supercharge innovation.”

HE Faisal Al Khamisi, Chairman of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP).

Faisal Alkhamisi, chairman of the SAFCP, said the new edition of LEAP 2025 shall reflect the event’s role in mirroring the rapid pace of tech industry developments. “Over the past three years, LEAP has evolved at a rocket-fueled pace, playing a critical role in nurturing talent, creativity, and investment,” Alkhamisi said. “Yet, this is just the beginning. LEAP will continue to reflect the ever-changing tech landscape and inspire pioneers from across the globe.”

What To Expect At LEAP 2025

This year’s edition of LEAP will offer enhanced matchmaking, investor-to-investor workshops, and more mentorship sessions, with over 1,500 global investors and startups flocking to the Saudi capital for the event in February.

LEAP’s Investor Program features dedicated lounges that will allow investors to connect with general partners, limited partners, and funds of funds, as well as a matchmaking zone with personalized networking spaces for investors and startups.

Meanwhile, on the Startup Stage, attendees will be invited to attend high-quality startup pitches from around the world, while at the Tech Arena, attendees will witness live product demos, get hands-on with prototypes, and see other cutting-edge tech in action.

This year’s edition will also debut LEAP Nights, which aims to take attendees beyond the event’s convention halls with a lineup of dinners, meetups, and live entertainment that will allow attendees to engage with the Saudi capital’s vibrant cultural scene, while also providing ample opportunities to network and socialize.

In terms of speakers, LEAP 2025 will feature notable international figures like Ken Kutaragi, former chairman and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s professional football league La Liga, Connie Chan, general partner of Andreessen Horowitz, Andrea Vena, chief climate and sustainability officer of the European Space Agency, and Alex Hirschi, chairwoman of Supercar Blondie.

Previous speakers set to return to LEAP 2025 include Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM, and Mo Gawdat, the former Chief Business Officer of Google X and renowned tech commentator.

LEAP 2025 To Debut Sports Tech Track

LEAP 2025’s inaugural Sports Tech track will bring the world of sports together with the latest tech trends, giving attendees the opportunity to step into the future of sports through live demos, industry announcements, and the latest tech innovations from clubs, industry leaders, and sector pioneers.

With Saudi Arabia recently winning the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, and with events like the Jeddah F1 Grand Prix, the recent Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin fight, and the Fury vs. Usyk fighter series, not to mention its investments in ATP Tour tennis, Formula E, football and esports, the Kingdom has quickly become a new global hub for the sports industry. And with recent data from Predence Research predicting that the global sports technology market will reach $117.93 billion by 2034, growing annually by almost 21 percent, the global sports tech market is ripe for innovation. 

The Sports Tech stage will bring together pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and sports investors to talk about the future of innovation in sports technology, with deep dives into AI, virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR), data analytics, fan engagement, and sustainable sports tech. It will also feature talks on building efficient sports business models, new revenue streams, and how investments are reshaping the world of sports.

In addition, the Sports Tech stage will attract major investors like Apex Capital, a firm known for its partnerships with prominent sporting figures such as McLaren Formula One driver Lando Norris. It is also set to feature speakers like Patrice Evra, entrepreneur, former Manchester United forward, and France national team captain, who will return to LEAP for the second time, as well as French former pro footballer and co-founder of GF Biochemicals, Mathieu Pierre Flamini.

Commenting on the new track, Champion said, “We have made sure that our new Sports Tech vertical, in partnership with the KSA Ministry of Sports, is bringing some of the world’s leading industry figures to Riyadh in February, with each speaker bringing unique insights and expertise on how technology and sports are working together to push boundaries on topics such as performance, fan engagement, sustainable event production, and business success.”

DeepFest To Make Grand Return To LEAP

Co-located with LEAP 2025, this year’s edition of DeepFest will showcase cutting-edge technologies and world-class AI pioneers through thought leadership sessions, futuristic experiences, and live, theater-style demos of robots, avatars, tech fashion, and more, to an anticipated audience of 48,000 attendees.

With over 120 exhibitors from around the world, DeepFest will act as a hive for interactive exhibits and networking opportunities, including demos and hands-on VR/AR experiences to explore speculative technologies, as well as human-AI collaboration. Plus, it will also connect entrepreneurs with investors and collaborators in startup pitch sessions.

Powered by Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and organized by Tahaluf, the four-day event will feature robot-powered interactions, immersive and transformative experiences across AI-powered explorations, and gamified healthtech, as well as tech demos and breakthroughs.

A cornerstone of the Kingdom’s transformative AI journey, DeepFest aligns with Saudi Arabia’s $100 billion Project Transcendence initiative, which underscores the country’s commitment to becoming a global AI hub. Set against Saudi Arabia’s visionary AI initiatives, DeepFest will foster global collaboration, spur innovation, and propel ethical advancement in AI.

Annabelle Mander, Tahaluf’s executive vice president, said, “With AI set to contribute over $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030, DeepFest 2025 will explore how AI is transforming every sector, and explore critical themes such as AI governance, ethics, and sustainability. The Kingdom’s ambitious vision provides a platform to foster collaboration and translate AI advancements into tangible solutions for a brighter future.”

Far from just being topics of discussion, AI and robotics will feature significantly at DeepFest. On the show floor, attendees will be accompanied by humanoid robotics by UB Tech and Pudu Robotics, with automated baristas serving coffee, while a demo of technological couture by Dutch designer Anouk Wipprecht on DeepFest’s main stage will illustrate how clothing can serve as an emotional interface.

DeepFest will feature more than 150 speakers, including Aidan Gomez, co-founder and CEO of Cohere, and Michael Spranger, president of Sony AI. Other AI visionaries at DeepFest 2025 include Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics, Dr. Daniela Braga, founder and CEO of Defined.AI, and Lambert Hogenhout, the chief of data and AI at the United Nations Secretariat. Together, they will address pressing challenges and opportunities across the AI ecosystem, including ethics, governance, sustainability, and security.

Other highlights will include an exploration of the future of AI computing with Jonathan Ross, founder and CEO of Groq, who will demonstrate the lightning-fast architecture behind the AI Groqchip, as well as a session that will see the founder and CEO of SingularityDAO Marcello Mari conduct a live interview with his AI avatar, exploring what it means for humanity when digital versions of humans advocate for a decentralized AI future. In another showcase, Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, co-founder and CEO of Alan, will demonstrate the future of personalized medicine in an interaction between him and “Mo,” a doctor AI assistant that gamifies health management, leveraging biomarkers for preventive care.

Inc. Arabia is a proud Media Partner for LEAP 2025. Book your tickets for LEAP 2025 here: https://bit.ly/40uzrbH.