Tech News
LEAP 2024: World’s Most-Attended Tech Event Returns to Riyadh with Sharpened Focus on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI)
Organisers of LEAP 2024, the seismic technology event conceived to accelerate the adoption of technology and aid the ongoing transformation and diversification of Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning economy, are predicting a record-breaking turnout of more than 172,000 visitors when the multi-award-winning event’s third edition gets underway on March 4 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, Malham.
The four-day show, already a key enabler in driving monumental economic development and societal change in Saudi Arabia, will this year sharpen its focus on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). To support this, DeepFest, co-located with LEAP and held in partnership with the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), is back and bigger than ever, with over 120 companies already confirmed to participate. The 2024 edition will unveil government AI initiatives and the latest innovations by incorporating a thought-leadership conference and a series of sector-dedicated tracks, trainings, live demos, innovation sessions, start-up pitches, and an exhibition that features the world’s top tech companies from across the world who are driving AI forward.
Investment and deal generation set to eclipse US$9bn
After the incomparable success of LEAP 2023, where on-event investment deals totalled more than US$9bn, organiser Tahaluf – a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) and Events Investment Fund – predicted LEAP 2024 will continue rewriting tech industry event records.
Organised in partnership with the Saudi Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), LEAP 2024 visitor numbers are already on track to surpass the 172,000 attendees achieved last February – a feat that saw LEAP’s second outing confirmed as the world’s most-attended tech event.
Michael Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, said: “In line with our goal to echo the spirit and build on the successes of our previous editions, LEAP 2024 will venture beyond imagined horizons. With a laser focus on AI, its myriad applications, and transformative advancements, LEAP 2024 is a continuation that will catapult the global tech industry into an elevated realm that is overflowing with untapped potential and unique experiences.”
With a new venue to increase capacity, LEAP 2024 will host more than 1,000 exhibitors displaying and demonstrating innovative tech breakthroughs to propel society into new worlds of living and working. An assortment of 1,000-plus international and regional experts will contribute to 25 content tracks, spotlighting next-gen tech frontiers, while seven new content features – dedicated to AI, Sustainability, Gaming, Space, Cybersecurity, Future Workforce, and Digital Twins – complete a robust conference and dynamic knowledge-sharing agenda.
Heavyweight names seize massive sponsor exposure and investment potential
LEAP’s unprecedented business power has generated new sponsorship pacts with some of the world’s leading players. With Ericsson, Huawei, Salam, Family Office, Tawuniya, and Elm already onboard as strategic sponsors, Neo Leap has signed up as a diamond sponsor, while Go Telecom, Lenovo, and Schneider Electric, PwC, and Hong Kong Science and Technology Park are all platinum sponsors. Gold sponsorship agreements have been secured with Mastercard, zoom, Cyberani, Cognizant, Arabsat, Deloitte, Perfect Presentation, and Dinar Investment.
Headline-makers in Main Stage ‘Acts’
A star-studded contingent of 130 headline-making celebrities and C-suite changemakers feature on LEAP’s Main Stage speaker platform, where discussions will follow a four ‘act’ format – Impulse, Accelerate, Momentum, and LEAP – aligned with ideation, business, and personal growth.
“The keynote stage will bring inspiring insights into the exciting evolution of the tech ecosystem and its role in humanity, security, and well-being,” added Champion. “This line-up will feature international tech leaders, global enterprises, policymakers, superstar athletes, and everything in between. Together, they will explore how exponential tech is expanding the social security sector and identify opportunities for shaping digital rights for the wellbeing of this and the next generation.”
Among the confirmed keynote cast to date are Angela Kane, Vice President and former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, International Institute for Peace – Vienna; Elizabeth Adams, Affiliate Fellow and Former Chief AI Ethics and Culture Advisor, Standford Institute for Human-Centered AI; Divya Gokulnath, Co-founder, Byju’s; Martin Vilig, Co-founder, Bolt; Borje Ekholm, CEO and President, Ericsson; Arvind Krishna, CEO, IBM; Martin Urrutia Islas, Global Head of Retail Innovation and Experience, The Lego Group; Philippe Rambach, Chief AI Office, Schneider Electric; Nicholas Dirks, President, The New York Academy of Sciences; Ott Velsberg, Government Chief Data Officer, Republic of Estonia; and Dr Anna Zeiter, VP – Chief Privacy Officer and Associate General Counsel of Privacy, Data and AI at eBay.
Tech News
Snowflake powers KSA’s Zahid Group’s data and AI transformation to unlock enterprise value
Zahid Group, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading diversified business groups spanning heavy equipment, energy, transport and manufacturing, and others, has selected Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, as the strategic foundation for its enterprise data and AI transformation, giving the Group a scalable way to strengthen governance, advance AI adoption, and elevate customer experiences enterprise-wide. The relationship was formalized during a signing ceremony at Zahid Business Park in Jeddah, launching a multi-year investment that will strengthen productivity and support technology-led growth in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
With Snowflake, Zahid Group’s Digital Solutions Division is unifying data from across its business streams and departments on a governed, secure, centralized and scalable lakehouse platform. A modern business intelligence ecosystem will give leaders faster access to information, enabling them to spend less time reconciling reports and more time acting on insights. The next phase will use Snowflake Cortex AI to enable employees to engage with data through natural language, reducing reliance on traditional reporting and shortening the path from question to decision.
Snowflake’s adoption at Zahid Group comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates its goal of becoming the Middle East’s leading AI infrastructure and technology hub. The Council of Ministers has designated 2026 as the Year of AI, and PwC estimates that AI could contribute around 12.4% of the country’s GDP by 2030.
Before adopting Snowflake, Zahid Group’s data was dispersed across multiple systems, requiring extensive manual consolidation and resulting in reporting inconsistencies that slowed decision-making. As an early proof of value, the Caterpillar Helios initiative demonstrated the power of secure, real-time data sharing through Snowflake. Building on this foundation, Zahid Group is now extending Snowflake’s capabilities across its digital ecosystem, enabling real-time data streaming and integration with core platforms such as Infor and Salesforce.
This connected architecture has standardized critical reporting processes, reducing month-end reporting cycles from days to hours, and in many cases minutes. By eliminating manual effort and improving data consistency, it provides leaders with timely, trusted insights that support faster decision-making and strengthen a culture of data-driven innovation.
Suzan Sadek, Group IT Manager, Zahid Group, said: “Data is one of the most valuable assets of the digital economy. By choosing Snowflake, we are building a trusted and scalable data foundation that enables AI-driven innovation, faster decision-making, and improved customer experience. This transformation strengthens Zahid Group’s competitiveness, while supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambition to create a data-driven economy.”
Michel Nader, General Manager for the Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Snowflake, said: “Zahid Group is demonstrating how trusted data can become the foundation for enterprise AI at scale. Snowflake brings information closer to customers while providing leading AI capabilities to enable digital transformation across Zahid’s operating environment. We are proud to support the company’s next phase too, where employees can access trusted insights faster and strengthen the Group’s ability to create lasting and scalable value across its businesses.”
Looking ahead, Zahid Group will expand Snowflake’s platform’s role across the Group, extending governed data products, advanced analytics and AI capabilities into more business functions to deliver measurable value for customers, partners and employees.
Tech News
PNY Technologies Joins LEAP 2026 with the Latest AI Technologies – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 31 August to 3 September | Booth H3-D10
PNY Technologies announces its participation in LEAP 2026, taking place in Riyadh from 31 August to 3 September, where it will present its latest AI infrastructure and accelerated computing solutions.
The showcase will feature the technologies behind PNY’s AI infrastructure portfolio, from the AI Enterprise Factory to the latest NVIDIA RTX PRO and GeForce graphics solutions, together with networking and infrastructure technologies.
Visitors will also be able to explore the PNY AI Factory Digital Twin Configurator, which allows users to design and configure their own AI factory using digital twins and NVIDIA Omniverse.
PNY will also host live demonstrations developed in collaboration with its technology partners, including SOMOD, DDN, INFINIARC, VERTIV, and F5.
The company’s participation in LEAP 2026 reflects its continued commitment to supporting AI innovation across the Middle East and helping shape the technologies powering the region’s digital transformation.
The PNY team, including regional representatives, will be on-site throughout LEAP 2026 to meet with visitors, partners, and members of the media at Hall H3, Booth D10. Attendees wishing to arrange a briefing or interview are welcome to submit a request below.
Contact request: https://forms.pny.eu/pny-at-leap-2026/
Press contact: sverdier@pny.com / mhamdouche@pny.com
Tech News
Globant Introduces Glob.AI, Reinventing Technology Services for the AI Era
Globant (NYSE: GLOB), a global company focused on driving enterprise reinvention through AI, today introduces Glob.AI, a new AI-native tech services model that fundamentally changes how enterprises access, purchase and deploy AI services. Available online through a self-service model, Glob.AI gives organizations access to enterprise-grade, high quality AI Pods (service units run by a set of AI agents and supervised by humans). Companies are charged for what they produce -per output or per consumption- never per seat or per hour.

“For over 20 years, Globant has stayed ahead of every major technology shift, and AI is no different. Glob.AI is our next step: the one-stop shop where our AI Pods live, each specialized by task and industry. Traditional AI adoption drives token consumption far beyond what efficient output requires, and the real cost is the wasted tokens plus the unstructured, manual supervision of AI. AI Pods introduce a smarter model, running the right AI through parallel agents, loops, workflows, and deterministic processes, representing the true state of the art of what AI can deliver today,” said Martín Migoya, CEO and co-founder of Globant.
Glob.AI brings together AI-native velocity with Globant’s 23 years of enterprise delivery baked into the governance layer. AI agents do the heavy lifting, with Globant’s experts supervising their outputs and guiding every step. Glob.AI works to standards–documented, tested, secure, built for enterprise scale. It’s the speed AI promises, with the rigor and quality that businesses need, by including:
- Well-defined, deterministic, and repeatable processes, supervised end to end by experts
- Optimized AI usage and transparent pricing: customers pay strictly for expert-validated outputs and/or real consumption — not hours, seats, AI hallucinations, retries, or wasted cycles.
- At least 30% more productive than the typical engineer-plus-AI approach
- Full AI sovereignty and governance: total flexibility over which models customers use and where they run them, with zero client data ever used to train external models.
- Token consumption secured in a client’s proprietary Token Vault, providing full traceability and compounding a client’s institutional knowledge over time.
“AI is not just making the same projects faster, it is making thousands of projects viable that never were before,” said Guibert Englebienne, co-founder of Globant. “Until today, enterprises could not buy technology services this way: instantly, transparently, paying only for results. That is the shift Glob.AI delivers, and the strong demand for AI Pods shows enterprises are ready for it.”
Organizations joining the waiting list at Glob.AI will gain early access to a comprehensive catalog of agentic workflows capable of building and deploying solutions for enterprise platforms and specialized industry use cases. The AI Pods in the offering also include partnerships with major organizations including Anthropic, AWS, Vercel, OpenAI, Adobe, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, SAP and Salesforce.
Traditional enterprise tech services require months of discovery, RFPs, and procurement cycles before the work begins. Glob.AI changes that model entirely. Users can log in and immediately start building enterprise grade software. Tech delivery becomes a live, continuous service rather than a fixed-term project — every improvement and release happening on the platform, fully visible to the client, in real time.
Globant released AI Pods in mid-2025, and they are already in use by several Fortune 500 organizations across media, entertainment, professional services, and finance, delivering early results that include:
- FIFA experiencing a 20% efficiency increase in throughput generation while maintaining or improving quality rates
- LALIGA deploying AI across key functions in three months
- YPF reducing contract timelines by up to 40%
- PharmaMar achieving 15x faster insights in oncology research
- A leading commercial bank completing a COBOL migration in 2 months versus 14 as projected with a traditional approach
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