LEAP 2026 runs from 31 August to 3 September at RECC Malham in Riyadh, with AMD chair and CEO Dr Lisa Su and HUMAIN chief executive Tareq Amin headlining a programme built around live demonstrations. Saudi Arabia has designated 2026 the Year of AI, and this year’s event leans into it.
Su and Amin are joined by Matthew Zielinski, Lenovo‘s executive vice president for international markets, and Nick Law, creative chairperson of Accenture Song, alongside senior figures from EY, PwC, Qualcomm and Luma AI.
AI you can watch
The pitch this year is less talk, more working technology: 93% of Tech Arena sessions will feature a live demonstration, working prototype or inventor-led conversation, up from 62% in 2025. Aadeel Akhtar, founder and CEO of PSYONIC, will show the company’s AI-powered prosthetic hand, which reads muscle signals and adapts to its wearer in real time. Andreas Forsland of Cognixion will present Axon-R, a non-invasive brain-computer interface combining EEG, augmented reality and AI.
A new Inventor Fireside Chat series brings Koichi Wakata, the astronaut turned chief technology officer of Axiom Space, and Mike Pell, one of the creators of the PDF at Adobe, to talk about the breakthroughs they helped build.
“Riyadh has become a place where the world’s biggest technology companies come together not only to discuss the future of AI, but to build it,” said Mike Champion, CEO of Tahaluf and co-creator of LEAP.
Getting in
General admission is free — the pass carries a $50 (188 SAR) face value. Priority passes cost $600 (2,250 SAR, about AED 2,204) at standard pricing, rising to $800 (3,000 SAR, about AED 2,938) after 23 August. Founder passes run $450 (1,688 SAR, about AED 1,653) and VIP passes $3,150 (11,812 SAR, about AED 11,568). All prices rise after 23 August. Registration is open at onegiantleap.com.
LEAP drew more than 200,000 people in 2025, which the organiser counts as the most-attended tech event in the world.
What is HUMAIN?
HUMAIN is Saudi Arabia’s state-owned AI company, launched in 2025 and led by Tareq Amin. It builds AI infrastructure — from sovereign data centres and cloud to generative models — as part of the Kingdom’s push to become a global AI player.
What’s included in a free LEAP 2026 pass?
The free General Pass covers exhibition access, full conference access across the LEAP and DeepFest stages, entry to the Diriyah World Heritage Site and pre/post-event networking through the LEAP app.
Is DeepFest part of LEAP 2026?
Yes. DeepFest, LEAP’s dedicated AI programme, runs co-located within the main event in Riyadh and is covered by the same pass.
Leave a Reply