His Excellency Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister - may Allah preserve them - is moving towards building one of the most ready and accessible artificial intelligence infrastructures in the world, enhancing its position as a trusted partner to enable the digital economy and connect East and West.

This came during his speech at the opening of the LEAP East 2026 conference in Hong Kong, where he explained that LEAP, which launched from Riyadh five years ago, has become a global technology movement that has had a multiplied impact not only on the Kingdom and the region, but on the world, noting that the movement's expansion to the East reflects the region's significance as a pivotal center for shaping the future of technology and artificial intelligence.

His Excellency explained that the East today represents an economy worth $34 trillion, approximately 30% of global GDP, and includes a digital economy worth $10 trillion, along with 3.7 billion people representing about 46% of the world's population, stressing that the East not only has the size but is building the true architecture of the artificial intelligence era. His Excellency noted that 82% of global AI patents originate from the East, 60% of the global semiconductor market is concentrated there, along with 90% of advanced chip manufacturing, making it a major hub for computing and AI engines worldwide.

His Excellency reviewed the Kingdom’s achievements in recent years, noting that the Saudi digital economy grew by 75% over eight years to reach $139 billion, the non-oil sector’s contribution to GDP rose to 16%, and the operational capacity of data centers jumped to 467 megawatts, representing 47% of the total capacity in the Middle East and North Africa region. His Excellency affirmed that the empowerment of Saudi women represents one of the most prominent success stories globally, explaining that women's participation in the technical workforce increased from 7% to 35%, surpassing the European Union and Silicon Valley averages, while Saudi women lead globally in participation and empowerment in the field of artificial intelligence. On the infrastructure side, His Excellency explained that the Kingdom is working to build 6.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2034, starting with 3 gigawatts by 2030, with 12.8 gigawatts of power currently available, making the Kingdom one of the fastest globally in providing energy for computing and AI projects. His Excellency concluded by affirming that the Kingdom combines the three elements of success for the AI era: computing, customers, and capital, noting that major global companies from the East have begun building in the Kingdom, including ByteDance, Lenovo, and Tencent.