LEAP 2023 In Riyadh Sees US$9 Billion Worth Of Investments Made In Saudi Arabia’s Tech Sector

The huge investment packages are said to come with the full support of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who remains committed to accelerating tech developments in Saudi Arabia.

His Excellency Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

More than US$9 billion will be invested to enhance Saudi Arabia’s position as the largest digital market in the MENA region, it was announced at the launch of the second edition of LEAP, which is running at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre from February 6-9, 2023.

The investments were revealed by H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, with it including Microsoft’s $2.1 billion to establish in a global super-scaler cloud in the Kingdom, Oracle’s $1.5 billion to expand its MENA business by launching new cloud areas in KSA, Huawei’s $400 million in cloud infrastructure for its services in the Kingdom, as well as the launch of a Zoom cloud area in the Kingdom, in partnership with Aramco. An additional $4.5 billion has also been invested in global and local assets across multiple sectors at the event.

H.E. Alswaha emphasized that the huge investment packages come with the full support of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who remains committed to accelerating developments that will help the Kingdom achieve the objectives of Vision 2030 by leveraging technologies of the future in promising sectors. H.E Alswaha also confirmed plans to strengthen the outcomes of LEAP 2023 in diversifying the economy, localizing technology, and advancing industries.

Other major announcements on the first day of LEAP 2023 included Meta announcing the opening of the first Metaverse Academy in the MENA in Saudi Arabia, the launches of multi-content social media app Hektar by WEO Technology and Camel Lab, as well as of Beem, a new application for instant messaging, high-quality voice and video calls, and business features developed by MENA Communication and STC.

An annual event that brings together the world’s most important tech experts, LEAP is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors from around the world this year. The conference’s second edition is happening as the Kingdom continues its leadership as the MENA region’s largest digital market with more than $42 billion in active investments. Indeed, across Saudi Arabia, more than 340,000 people currently work in the digital, telecommunications, and information technology sectors.

Related: Talking Shop With LEAP 2023 Speakers Baroness Karren Brady, Gitanjali Rao, And Steven Bartlett

More than US$9 billion will be invested to enhance Saudi Arabia’s position as the largest digital market in the MENA region, it was announced at the launch of the second edition of LEAP, which is running at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre from February 6-9, 2023.

The investments were revealed by H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, with it including Microsoft’s $2.1 billion to establish in a global super-scaler cloud in the Kingdom, Oracle’s $1.5 billion to expand its MENA business by launching new cloud areas in KSA, Huawei’s $400 million in cloud infrastructure for its services in the Kingdom, as well as the launch of a Zoom cloud area in the Kingdom, in partnership with Aramco. An additional $4.5 billion has also been invested in global and local assets across multiple sectors at the event.

H.E. Alswaha emphasized that the huge investment packages come with the full support of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who remains committed to accelerating developments that will help the Kingdom achieve the objectives of Vision 2030 by leveraging technologies of the future in promising sectors. H.E Alswaha also confirmed plans to strengthen the outcomes of LEAP 2023 in diversifying the economy, localizing technology, and advancing industries.

Related Content

Technology

Inside Brownstone Consulting Firm’s Dubai Market Entry Focused on NIST and ISO Standards for Secure Global Operations

In response to growing demand for structured cybersecurity guidance, Brownstone Consulting Firm is in the process of expanding in Dubai, bringing its expertise in cybersecurity and compliance frameworks to businesses in the UAE and beyond. The move targets a pronounced need for external support in implementing and aligning with global standards like the National Institute […]
Technology

From Builders to Creators: How Cozi.Club is Creating Dubai’s TrustCommunity of Exceptional Global AI Creative Talents

Dubai has no shortage of ambition, capital, or innovation hubs. What it has lacked until recently is a functional trust community that helps global creative talent and AI founders transition from arrival to real traction. That gap is what Cozi.Club was built to solve, a trust community for creative AI builders’ success. Positioned at the […]
Technology

Arabic.AI Collaborates with Stanford University’s Center for Research on Foundation Models to Advance Arabic AI Benchmarking

Arabic.AI, the regional leader in Arabic artificial intelligence and enterprise technology solutions, today announced a collaboration with Stanford University’s Center for Research on Foundation Models (CRFM) to establish the first holistic benchmark for evaluating Arabic large language models (LLMs). The project represents a significant milestone in global AI research and ensures that Arabic receives the […]
Technology

NLPearl’s Vision for Scalable, Human-Centered AI Voice Infrastructure

A growing share of organizations adopting artificial intelligence in their customer service have reported an increase in customer satisfaction percentage, yet tech entrepreneur David Sztern, CEO of NLPearl, believes that few technologies have succeeded in making those interactions feel natural. NLPearl was built to bridge that gap by blending technical innovation with a clear operational […]
Technology

From Master Planning to Autonomous Security Operations: How Mustafa Masri Is Expanding the Boundaries of Security Consultancy in the Gulf

The security industry in the Gulf is taking to the skies. No longer confined to walls and cameras, it now reaches into drones and autonomous systems. Mustafa Masri, founder of DSP Consultants, is shaping how UAVs are applied for medical delivery, agriculture, and security, transforming how developments monitor and manage their environments. Masri brings nearly […]