Riyadh : LEAP 2025

Magdalena

Day two at LEAP 2025 demonstrated the scale of the event. The Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre welcomed 215,000 visitors, 1,800 tech brands and 1,000 speakers across 15 stages.

Magdalena attended the panel “Lessons from China : Innovation and Speed for the Middle East”, where Harry Man (MPCi 经纬创投), Fang Fang (Waterwood Group) and Wafa Al Obaidat (PLAYBOOK) outlined China’s rapid product‑cycle culture, disciplined capital allocation, local‑market iteration and early exit planning as lessons for Gulf founders. Informal discussions focused on regulatory pace and cross‑border venture syndication, matching Middle Bridge objectives in Saudi Arabia.

Headline deals echoed those themes. Groq confirmed a $1.5 billion programme with Aramco Digital to expand inference capacity in Dammam. Lenovo agreed to a $2 billion convertible‑bond partnership with ALAT to build an AI‑enabled manufacturing hub in Riyadh. Google announced a global AI hub in the Kingdom to strengthen regional data‑centre capacity.

Beyond capital commitments, the exhibition floor blended early‑stage prototypes with practical demonstrations. Highlights included Golden Gloves VR for immersive boxing training and Adobe’s Project Primrose interactive textiles, illustrating the blend of physical and digital design. Matchmaking tools connected 1,600 investors with more than 680 pre‑screened startups, giving founders structured access to capital and partnership leads.

LEAP 2025 underlined Saudi Arabia’s ambition to make Riyadh a global technology hub. Middle Bridge gained new data points, direct investor contacts and proof that founders in Asia, Europe and the Gulf seek faster product cycles, not just headline funding.