Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha revealed during the government press conference on Sunday that agreements worth billions of dollars “from the East and West” will be highlighted during LEAP 2026, which kicks off tomorrow in Riyadh and runs until September 3.
Al-Swaha said the kingdom's digital economy has grown cumulatively by over 75% to reach SAR 522 billion, compared with less than SAR 300 billion previously, noting that annual growth of 6-7% is double the rate seen in G20 countries. Jobs in the sector have surpassed 410,000, up from 150,000, while the communications gap has narrowed to just 1% from 50%.
The minister pointed to Saudi Arabia's emergence as a tech exporter, with 3,000 servers shipped to neighboring countries, and highlighted the launch of mega projects with global firms alongside more than 80 tech schools in the kingdom. He added that the country can reach 3 billion AI customers from its territory and has become the main market for data centers in the AI sector, holding a 50-60% share.
Al-Swaha noted that 5.8 million homes are now covered by fiber-optic services, though subscription rates remain below target. He also said complaints in the telecom sector have dropped from over one million in 2015 to fewer than 100,000, with a quarterly report submitted to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on every complaint.