The Saudi Times Joins LEAP 2026 as Official Media Partner

The Saudi Times has been confirmed as an Official Media Partner for LEAP 2026, which opens on 31 August and runs through 3 September at the Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, Riyadh. The fifth edition of LEAP is expected to attract an estimated 200,000 visitors, host more than 1,800 tech brands, feature about 1,000 speakers and showcase nearly 600 startups, while drawing close to 2,000 investors to the event.

"Every pitch is someone’s business, their team, their capital calls and their future," said the outlet, signalling a planned editorial focus on granular founder-level reporting throughout the week-long gathering.

On-the-ground coverage and editorial focus

The Saudi Times will deploy a dedicated editorial team led by Managing Editor Abeer Abdalla to cover the show floor and follow announcements across stages and meetings. Coverage will combine daily dispatch journalism with deeper analytical pieces that connect LEAP’s global conversations back to implications for Saudi capability, investment and opportunity in line with Vision 2030.

• Event scope: LEAP 2026 runs under the theme "Into New Worlds" and includes adjacent programming such as DeepFest, the region’s AI-focused festival.
• Rocket Fuel: One of LEAP’s flagship competitions, Rocket Fuel, has selected 100 startups to pitch for a share of $1,000,000 in equity-free awards. Final pitches take place on 3 September.
• Audience and participants: Organisers expect more than 200,000 attendees, nearly 600 startups, and roughly 2,000 investors during the event week.

Speakers and industry representation

LEAP’s speaker list spans national ministers, global tech CEOs, academics and investors. Confirmed speakers include H.E. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communication & Information Technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Dr. Lisa Su, Chair & CEO of AMD; Chuck Robbins, Chair & CEO of Cisco; Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN; Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at City College of New York; and Akash Palkhiwala, EVP, CFO & COO of Qualcomm.

Other senior figures on the roster include Qasar Younis, Co-Founder & CEO of Applied Intuition; JF Gauthier, CEO of Startup Genome; Dave McQuarrie, Chief Commercial Officer at HP Inc.; Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia; Mohit Joshi, CEO and Managing Director of Tech Mahindra; Ahmad Al Khowaiter, EVP Technology & Innovation at Aramco; and Jennifer Li, CFO & Head of International Operations at WeRide. The list also features ministers from international delegations and public figures such as former England footballer Sol Campbell.

Platforms and follow-up

Reporting from the partnership will appear across the outlet’s website and social platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram and X, with preview coverage ahead of 31 August and analysis following the final keynotes on 3 September. A particular editorial commitment is to follow one founder with a Saudi operating or market angle from Rocket Fuel from opening pitches through the Grand Finale, offering a longitudinal account of preparation, pitching and outcomes.

By combining real-time dispatches with focused storytelling on founders, funding and partnerships, The Saudi Times aims to provide sustained coverage of what emerges from LEAP 2026 — from product launches and funding rounds to partnerships that may influence the Kingdom’s technology and investment landscape in the months after the event.