NetApp, the Nasdaq-listed intelligent data infrastructure company (NTAP), has announced its participation in LEAP 2026, which runs from August 31 to September 3 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, where it will showcase how its platform helps organizations across sectors keep their data continuously ready for AI applications while ensuring security and control, enabling them to tackle the most demanding workloads and complex challenges across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
The company's presence comes as Saudi Arabia's business sector accelerates its adoption of artificial intelligence, coinciding with the kingdom's designation of 2026 as the Year of AI, with enterprises integrating AI into operations and building capabilities to scale usage, yet as data becomes distributed across multiple environments, organizations face growing challenges in accessing, managing, and protecting it.
In this context, Suhail Hasnin, Senior Director and General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at NetApp, said: "Saudi Arabia continues to rapidly establish itself as one of the world's most ambitious AI markets, driven by investments that not only transform the kingdom but also help shape the next generation of AI infrastructure globally. As AI moves from experimentation to widespread production, enterprise competitiveness will increasingly depend on data and the speed of access, governance, protection, and availability for AI applications wherever it resides."
Meanwhile, Saeed Al-Zahrani, Country Manager for Saudi Arabia at NetApp, emphasized that organizations must ensure continuous data protection through integrated, AI-powered security solutions capable of autonomously detecting threats and enabling rapid recovery, noting that data security should be intrinsic to the technical architecture itself rather than an external layer, and NetApp provides self-defending, AI-driven mechanisms that detect threats and protect data with greater efficiency and speed.
LEAP is one of the world's largest technology events, bringing together leaders, companies, investors, startups, and innovators to explore developments in AI, fintech, smart cities, health tech, and edtech, and visitors can meet the NetApp team in Hall 1 dedicated to major corporations.