Riyadh International Exhibition for Communications Technology and Information Technology

The 4th Riyadh International Exhibition for Communications Technology and Information Technology (LEAP 2025) was successfully held from February 9 to 12, 2025, at the New Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center. Hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, this year’s event was themed “Towards a New World” and has become an annual highlight for the global technology industry.

In terms of scale, the exhibition brought together over 1,800 exhibitors from around the world, attracting more than 210,000 professional visitors from over 80 countries and regions, with the number of participating companies doubling compared to the previous edition. During the event, Saudi Arabia announced new investments totaling US$14.9 billion in the field of artificial intelligence, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping the global digital future. More than 600 emerging tech startups and 500 international speakers took part.

This year’s exhibition featured numerous highlights, with Chinese innovative enterprises serving as central attractions. UBTECH showcased industrial solutions based on humanoid robots, including the Walker S1, which performed intelligent material handling and sorting tasks for the first time in the Middle East. The Panda robot and hyper-realistic humanoid robots drew significant public engagement and interactive experiences. Huawei presented its PanCloud large-scale model with a three-tier architecture, along with the Huawei Cloud Stack 8.5 solution, signed a memorandum of cooperation on smart city initiatives with the King Abdullah Financial District, and launched the “Huawei Skills Development Center” in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, aiming to train 25,000 local professionals in AI, cloud computing, and related fields by 2030.

A rich array of concurrent events created a high‑level platform for industry dialogue. Lenovo Group announced plans to establish its Middle East and Africa regional headquarters in Riyadh and held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new manufacturing base in collaboration with Saudi company Aynat. China Mobile International showcased end-to-end digital services, hosted the Saudi Digital Transformation Conference, and released the “Blue Paper on Digital Transformation of Chinese Enterprises Operating in Saudi Arabia.” Tencent Cloud announced it would build its first data center in the Middle East, investing over US$150 million in infrastructure and resources. Honor unveiled its new Magic6 Pro smartphone, making its debut in the region.

The Ministry of Commerce’s Investment Promotion Bureau organized a dedicated pavilion for Chinese innovative enterprises, comprehensively showcasing China’s cutting-edge manufacturing and technological achievements. Exhibiting companies spanned sectors including electronics, smart home technologies, 5G information technology, intelligent buildings and energy, service robots, specialized robots, smart manufacturing technologies and applications, futuristic living, smart vehicles, and artificial intelligence. Smart wearable device manufacturers reported that Saudi Arabia has become their largest overseas market, while laptop and tablet producers expressed hopes that the exhibition would enhance the visibility of Chinese brands in the local market.

The outcomes of the exhibition were widely acclaimed, generating strong industry resonance. Huawei and the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology jointly launched a talent development program, while China Mobile International established a collaborative ecosystem alliance with Chinese and local partners. Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Swaha, emphasized that the era of intelligence calls for inclusive technological advancement to ensure prosperity for all. Attendees noted that LEAP is not only an excellent platform for brand exposure and business matchmaking but also a critical hub for gaining insights into Middle Eastern technology trends and exploring pathways toward digital transformation.

The 5th Riyadh International Exhibition for Communications Technology and Information Technology (LEAP 2026) will be held from April 13 to 16, 2026, at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center, and is expected to continue providing an efficient platform for global communication technology industry stakeholders to engage in exchange and collaboration.