LEAP Forward’s Latest Edition Highlights KSA’s AI Ambitions

LEAP, the award-winning global technology event held annually in Saudi Arabia, has released the latest edition of its print and digital publication, LEAP Forward. 

Billed as "an exploration of the global tech landscape through the lens of Saudi Arabia," LEAP Forward’s latest instalment – its third edition so far – delves deep into the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a hub for artificial intelligence (AI). 

As a showcase of “the innovators fueling Saudi Arabia’s AI boom,” LEAP Forward Issue #3 features interviews with leading names in the field like Dr. Yaser Al-Onaizan, CEO of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), and George Nazi, CEO of the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI). 

Also featured in this edition of LEAP Forward are notable industry figures like Nasser AlNasser, Assistant Deputy Minister for Technology and Investment at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Anthony Nakache, Managing Director for the MENA at Google, Fadle Saad, Managing Director for the KSA at HP Inc., and several others.

This issue of LEAP Forward also includes extensive coverage of themes that are particularly important to this industry, which includes Saudi Arabia’s role in the growth and development of Arabic-specific AI models, as well as building an AI-ready talent pipeline for the future. 

LEAP Forward Issue #3 was officially unveiled at the most recent edition of LEAP, which ran at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre in Malham from February 9-12, 2025.

The event, which was co-organized by Saudi Arabia’s largest B2B event organizer, Tahaluf, in partnership with the KSA Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP), saw over 200,000 attendees, and was able to generate US$820 million in economic impact.

“This edition of LEAP Forward reflects the pace and purpose behind Saudi Arabia’s ambition to lead in tech,” said Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President of Tahaluf and Co-Creator of LEAP. “It’s not just about showcasing innovation – it’s about giving space to the voices shaping what’s next, from Arabic-first models, to a more inclusive AI workforce. As the tech community looks to the Kingdom with increasing interest, publications like this help make sense of the scale, the momentum, and the opportunity.” 

LEAP Forward Issue #3 can now be read on its official website, www.leapforward.onegiantleap.com.