Beyond LEAP 2026: Turning Technology Conversations into Saudi Arabia Market Traction
Updated: Sep 8
LEAP 2026 brought international technology leaders, investors and innovators together in Riyadh, generating four days of announcements, meetings and conversations. With the event now behind us, attention turns to how international companies convert that momentum into sustainable business in Saudi Arabia.
AEI is not a technology specialist, but we support international technology companies and firms delivering transformation programmes with their route-to-market strategy and Saudi operations. Drawing on what clients see on the ground, this article explores emerging opportunities and what it takes to build sustainable business in the Kingdom.
By Ross Melia
Spending Overview and Initiatives
The scale of Saudi Arabia's technology ambitions is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. According to the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), Saudi Arabia's digital economy reached SAR 495 billion, equivalent to approximately 15% of GDP. This not only shows the opportunity for international investment, but also Vision 2030 in action, with clear diversification from oil. Technology is therefore not simply being treated as a supporting sector within Vision 2030, it is increasingly becoming an enabler across almost every area of the transformation in the Kingdom. From government services and healthcare to tourism, financial services, smart cities, energy, and the giga-projects, significant investment is being directed toward digital infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, data, and AI.
As you can imagine, like the rest of the world… AI in particular has become an area of significant national focus. Through the National Strategy for Data and AI, Saudi Arabia has previously set an ambition to attract approximately SAR 75 billion of investment into data and AI (SDAIA). In practice, the establishment of HUMAIN has taken this ambition considerably further. The company is building capabilities across the entire AI ecosystem. Recent partnerships announced with global technology companies including NVIDIA, Qualcomm and AWS demonstrate both the scale of the ambition of Saudi Arabia, but also the appetite from international players to get in on the action.
Who Are the Local Players?
SDAIA: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority was established in 2019, before the recent global AI boom. Its early creation showed that Saudi Arabia's focus on data and AI anticipated, rather than responded to, generative AI. SDAIA is now central to the Kingdom's national data and AI agenda, including the National Strategy for Data and AI.
HUMAIN: PIF established HUMAIN in May 2025 to develop Saudi Arabia's capabilities across the AI value chain, including next-generation data centres, cloud infrastructure, AI models and applications such as ALLAM, its multimodal Arabic large language model. HUMAIN has announced major partnerships with NVIDIA, Qualcomm and AWS. PIF and Aramco have also announced plans for Aramco to acquire a significant minority stake, bringing AI assets and capabilities under a more unified national platform.
Elm: One of Saudi Arabia's most established digital companies, Elm has played a significant role in digitising government services. Its activities span digital products, technology solutions, consultancy and business outsourcing. With more than 30 million users and around three billion digital transactions annually, Elm demonstrates the scale Saudi-developed platforms can achieve. It also works through partnership models with technology providers, system integrators and international businesses.
STC: stc has evolved beyond telecommunications into a major digital transformation player. Its wider ecosystem spans cloud computing, cybersecurity, IoT, AI, digital payments and technology infrastructure. Its involvement in major Vision 2030 developments also demonstrates the growing overlap between telecommunications, infrastructure and technology transformation.
PIF: Although not a technology company, PIF is one of the most important players to understand. Through HUMAIN and its wider portfolio, PIF is using investment to develop strategic sectors, localise technology and create new industries in Saudi Arabia. For international companies, understanding the PIF ecosystem can be as important as understanding individual government technology initiatives.
Where Are the Opportunities for International Companies?
The obvious opportunities are in AI, but we would caution international businesses against viewing the Saudi technology opportunity too narrowly.
Behind every AI platform sits a much broader ecosystem. Data centres require infrastructure, cooling, power management and cybersecurity. AI adoption requires data governance, integration, cloud architecture and implementation capability. Digital transformation requires systems integrators, specialist consultants, software providers, change management and, increasingly, sector-specific solutions.
This is where we continue to see opportunities for international businesses, and where our international client base is looking to add value.
There is also a significant localisation element. Saudi organisations are increasingly looking beyond simply procuring an international technology product. They want to understand how technology will be implemented locally, how it integrates with existing infrastructure, what knowledge and capability will remain within the Kingdom and how the international company intends to build a sustainable Saudi presence.
For international businesses entering the market, this creates opportunities across cloud and data infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI implementation, smart-city technologies, fintech, healthtech, industrial technology, IoT, and technology-enabled professional services.
What Are International Companies Seeing on the Ground?
One consistent message we hear from technology clients is that Saudi Arabia remains a relationship-driven market. Arriving with a strong international product and expecting opportunities to immediately follow is rarely enough.
The companies gaining traction are generally those investing time into understanding the ecosystem, identifying the right partners and stakeholders and demonstrating a genuine commitment to the Kingdom.
We are also seeing greater expectations around localisation. Importantly, developing local capability, establishing partnerships and transferring knowledge are increasingly important elements of the value proposition.
Another consideration is how quickly the market is evolving. New organisations are being established, mandates are changing, and investment priorities continue to develop. HUMAIN itself is perhaps the clearest recent example. A company that did not exist before May 2025 is now at the centre of some of the Kingdom's largest international AI partnerships.
This creates opportunities, but it also means companies need to stay close to the market and continually adapt their route-to-market plans if they’re not already under contract.
Don’t just take my word for it…
I made it clear at the start that while we work with a lot of tech companies, we are by no means technology experts. So I asked a few of our technology clients a simple question:
"What is the one technology trend or opportunity you are keeping an eye on in Saudi Arabia over the next 12–24 months?"
“As the Kingdom has declared 2026 the ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’, the one technology trend to keep an eye on is Arabic LLMs - hosted in the Kingdom. The demographics of Saudi Arabia demand an ‘Arabic First’ approach. Companies assuming they can ‘lift and shift’ from North America or Europe (which may have worked in places like Dubai) will be missing the mark. From the customer experience / user journey to the range of Arabic dialects – these are Saudi specific nuances most don’t fully appreciate. At Almaaber, we spent our early years in the Kingdom investing in relationships and Cultural Intelligence. So we have seen the need for Arabic LLM’s for awhile, and now we see the technology maturing.”
Chris Hafner – Founding Partner - Almaaber
"The Kingdom has the opportunity to become a key center for Knowledge Process Outsourcing within MENA. To do this, it needs to capitalize on its significant investments in AI with a drive to train its citizens in AI-enabled services. KPO services require analytical skills and have a higher intellectual component than traditional Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). As an illustrative example, BPO services could include registering an insurance claim whilst KPO services would determine if the claim fell within the remit of the policy and if it should be paid. The KPO approach will differentiate it from other nations in the region who have already captured a slice of the BPO market as labor cost arbitrage works in their favour. A flourishing KPO industry, based on a bedrock of AI-enabled skills across multiple industry verticals, will also create long-term employment opportunities for young Saudis who comprise a significant percentage of the Kingdom's population."
Kris Wadia – Senior Advisor – Tech Saudi Advocates
Beyond LEAP: Turning Momentum into Market Traction
Chris and Kris's comments capture where the opportunity is heading. It is not simply about bringing technology into Saudi Arabia, but making it work here. Whether through Arabic-first AI, developing local skills or using AI to create new industries and jobs, localisation will be central.
LEAP 2026 demonstrated the strength of international interest in Saudi Arabia's technology market.
The important question now is how companies build on that interest.
Events can generate conversations, connections and a long list of potential opportunities. Turning that momentum into sustainable business is the harder part.
That requires understanding the right stakeholders, where your technology adds genuine value, how you will localise and what a credible Saudi presence will look like.
AEI supports international companies from early route-to-market discussions through to establishing a Saudi entity, securing licences, bringing people into the Kingdom and managing the practical realities of operating here.
The opportunity is significant, but the companies most likely to benefit will invest time, build relationships and treat the Kingdom as a long-term market rather than another export opportunity.
LEAP 2026 created considerable momentum. What matters now is how international companies build on it.
