Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Date) – LEAP 2025, a global technology movement, has announced the largest-ever package of tech investments in the world, totaling an impressive $14.9 billion during its four-day event.
Saudi Arabia Solidifies Its Position as a Global Tech Leader
These investments underscore Saudi Arabia’s role as the region’s leading tech hub and a global powerhouse in AI, emerging and deep technologies, and cloud computing. The initiatives aim to empower digital skills development, foster the growth of tech startups, and drive innovation across Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
With the largest digital economy in the MENA region, valued at $132 billion, Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen its leadership in the sector. The Kingdom is also the region’s top destination for venture capital, capturing more than 40% of the total investments in 2024 with 178 deals.
Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s Tech Transformation
H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, made the announcements during the event’s launch under the theme “Into New Worlds”. The Minister highlighted the unwavering support of HRH Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, which has enabled these substantial investments.
Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s transformation into an innovative and sustainable AI-driven economy, these initiatives advance Vision 2030 objectives. They reinforce the Kingdom’s leadership in technological innovation and digital economy growth.
Organizers and Supporters of LEAP 2025
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, and Tahaluf—a joint alliance between the Federation and Informa PLC—organized LEAP 2025. The event also received support from the Events Investment Fund.
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Major Global Investments Announced at LEAP 2025
The inaugural day of the event featured several groundbreaking announcements, including:
- Groq & Aramco Digital: A $1.5 billion investment in AI-powered cloud computing, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global leader in AI.
- Alat & Lenovo: A $2 billion investment to establish an advanced AI and robotics-based manufacturing and technology center in the Kingdom, alongside the opening of Lenovo’s regional headquarters in Riyadh.
- Google: A significant investment in AI infrastructure, launching a global AI hub in Saudi Arabia to meet regional and international demand.
- Qualcomm: Unveiled the introduction of the ALLaM language model on Qualcomm AI Cloud to deliver cutting-edge hybrid AI solutions and empower developers.
- Alibaba Cloud: Announced an AI empowerment program in Saudi Arabia, collaborating with Tuwaiq Academy and STC to train local talent in advanced technologies.
- Databricks: A $300 million investment in Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions, supporting app developers and fostering data engineering and AI expertise.
- SambaNova: A $140 million commitment to build advanced AI infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the Kingdom’s role as a regional innovation hub.
- KKR & Gulf Data Hub: Announced an investment in Saudi Arabia’s data center development, with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts, boosting cloud computing and AI capabilities.
- Salesforce: Announced a $500 million investment in the Hyperforce platform to serve regional customers from Saudi Arabia.
- Tencent Cloud: Invested $150 million to launch its first cloud region in the Middle East from Saudi Arabia, leveraging AI capabilities.
LEAP 2025: A Catalyst for Global AI Leadership
LEAP 2025 strengthens Saudi Arabia’s ambition to lead the global AI sector, attract top-tier tech investments, and position itself as a hub for digital transformation and cutting-edge innovation. The event marks a significant milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward becoming a global tech powerhouse.