RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is gearing up for LEAP 2024, the world's most attended expertise occasion, from March Four-7 on the Riyadh Conference and Exhibition Middle in Malham.
The pre-event assembly on 28 February introduced this 12 months's theme 'Into New Worlds', which encompasses new alternatives, applied sciences and capabilities within the expertise sector.
The occasion is organized by the Ministry of Communications and Info Expertise, Tahaluf Co., the Saudi Federation for Cyber Safety, Programming and Drones and the Basic Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, also called Monsha'at.
Tahaluf CEO Michael Champion instructed Arab Information: “Into New Worlds demonstrates how expertise can carry new horizons to totally different industries and create new alternatives, lots of which we as soon as thought have been unattainable.”
With synthetic intelligence on the middle of LEAP, audio system will focus on its purposes and affect, together with different improvements and rising applied sciences all through the four-day occasion.
LEAP 2024 will cowl varied matters throughout a number of phases, together with the investor stage and the primary stage, with discussions on training expertise, retail expertise and fintech, in addition to well being expertise, the fourth industrial revolution, future vitality and good cities.
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Greater than 600 startups and 172,000 individuals are anticipated to attend the convention, together with greater than 1,800 expertise exhibitors worldwide.
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The occasion will function over 1,000 worldwide and native expertise firms and over 1,000 skilled audio system from 180 nations.
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LEAP 2024 will cowl varied matters in a number of phases, together with the investor stage and the primary stage.
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There will likely be discussions on academic expertise, retail expertise and fintech, in addition to well being expertise, the fourth industrial revolution, future vitality and good cities.
Greater than 600 startups and 172,000 individuals are anticipated to attend the convention, together with greater than 1,800 international expertise exhibitors reminiscent of Google, Microsoft and Oracle, in addition to Dell, Cisco and Avaya.
SAP, ServiceNow and Amazon Internet Companies may even be represented, together with IBM, Alibaba and Huawei.
The occasion will function over 1,000 worldwide and native expertise firms and over 1,000 skilled audio system from 180 nations, and to accommodate this, the 2024 venue is 170% bigger than final 12 months.
Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Communications and Info Expertise, Haitham Al-Ohali, appears ahead to welcoming thought leaders, influencers, traders and innovators from all over the world to LEAP.
“This version comes at a time when variables are accelerating and generative synthetic intelligence is a essential turning level economically and socially,” Al-Ohali stated.
Champion instructed Arab Information that Saudi Arabia is rising globally as a precedence financial system. For a lot of, touring to Riyadh will reveal a brand new world to them.
“We obtain 7,000 registrations from abroad – enterprise vacationers, lots of whom have by no means traveled to the Kingdom earlier than,” stated the CEO.
He stated members can meet with key determination makers by way of LEAP and create new partnerships.
Keynote audio system and consultants embrace Vice President and former UN Excessive Consultant for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane; Ericsson CEO and President Borje Ekholm; and IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna.
Different international figures embrace Chief Authorities Knowledge Officer for the Republic of Estonia Ott Velsberg; Chief AI Officer at Schneider Electrical Philippe Rambach; Nokia President and CEO Pekka Lundmark; and Martin Vilig, co-founder of Bolt.
Champion stated: “These are huge international firms and their CEOs are all coming to this occasion and I feel that's an actual testomony to how vital individuals now see Saudi Arabia as a sport changer in the case of expertise and funding . “
Saudi Minister of Communications and Info Expertise Abdullah Al-Swaha stated the third LEAP occasion will strengthen Saudi Arabia's place as a middle of innovation and expertise, attracting funding to the area.
There will likely be a number of MoUs all through the exhibition to facilitate agreements and transactions.
“Throughout LEAP, we announce billion-dollar initiatives and vital MOU signings as a result of we take severely the necessity to use the occasion as a platform for enterprise offers to occur,” Champion stated.
The 2023 version of the occasion noticed greater than $11 billion in offers and offers, and the estimated 172,000 attendees helped solidify LEAP because the world's largest expertise convention.
The occasion will function 10 phases that can focus on varied features of expertise, together with well being, training and e-commerce. Of the 10, the primary stage classes will likely be streamed dwell on LEAP 2024 social media platforms.
LEAP will host the investor stage, the place the world's main traders will focus on modern funding alternatives. This stage may even handle matters such because the intersection of expertise with authorities coverage and innovation and profitable funding methods.
It can additionally function the Startup Stage the place skilled audio system reminiscent of Blossom Accelerator CEO and Founder Emon Shakoor, Raiven Capital Founding Associate Supreet Singh Manchanda and Adaverse Founding Associate Vincent Li will focus on startup progress and innovation.
The Rocket Gas Pitch competitors returns for Saudi and overseas startups with prizes exceeding $1 million. Classes embrace the LEAP Award, value $250,000 for essentially the most excellent startup in the whole competitors; Capturing Star Award, which allocates $150,000 to the early-stage startup beginning its journey; and the Aviatrix Award, which is able to award $150,000 to essentially the most modern startups launched by feminine founders.
The Expertise for Humanity Award may even include a $150,000 prize, this time for the startup that greatest embodies the “expertise for humanity” spirit of LEAP, whereas one other $150,000 is awarded to the winner of the Into New Worlds Award for the extra spectacular. startup occupying the Metaverse and Internet three.zero area,
The ultimate prize of $150,000 is a part of the Synthetic Intelligence Prize for the startup that presents essentially the most fascinating and modern use of AI.
The CEO of the Saudi Federation for Cyber Safety, Programming and Drones, Muteb Al-Qani, stated that they’re eager to current a particular expertise to the guests as we’ll collect prime audio system and expertise consultants from all over the world.
“This occasion was created to empower expertise globally; due to this fact, the upcoming version brings collectively the largest tech firms, startups and traders all beneath one roof, which has the potential to result in quite a few investments and launches,” he stated.