The U.S.-Saudi Business Council attended LEAP 2026, held August 31 – September 3 in Riyadh, with the Council’s Saudi Arabia office represented by Hutham Aljalal, General Manager. During the four-day technology conference, the Council met with U.S. and Saudi companies exhibiting and attending the event, including Council members, to discuss their activities in the Kingdom and opportunities for further U.S.-Saudi technology collaboration. This follows the Council’s participation last year in LEAP 2025, where Council leadership engaged with industry leaders and member companies across the technology sector.
Now in its fifth edition, LEAP is organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and brings together global technology companies, startups, investors, government officials, and researchers across artificial intelligence, cloud computing, semiconductors, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, autonomous technologies, and other emerging technology fields. LEAP 2026 placed particular emphasis on the rapid expansion of Saudi Arabia’s AI and advanced computing capabilities, with more than $15 billion in technology investments and strategic commitments announced at the opening of the conference.
The technology sector is also increasingly represented within the Council’s membership and leadership. HUMAIN recently joined the Council as a Saudi Chairman’s Circle member, while HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin accepted an appointment to the Council’s Board of Directors. Also joining the Board in 2026 are senior technology executives including Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google, and Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco. Google and Cisco are also Chairman’s Circle members of the Council, alongside technology companies including Amazon, Qualcomm, and other prominent industry leaders.
The Council’s engagement at LEAP reflects its continued focus on connecting U.S. technology companies with Saudi counterparts and supporting commercial partnerships in sectors that are becoming an increasingly important part of the U.S.-Saudi business relationship.
