Riyadh-based Tahaluf, a joint venture with global event organiser Informa, which has run global tech events such as LEAP, Black Hat, and Cityscape, is now partnering with ewpartners, an international investment firm, on LEAP East, the Asia-Pacific edition of LEAP, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s flagship technology event. The new event will take place 8-10 July 2026 in Hong Kong at the HKCEC.
For the first time, LEAP will expand beyond Saudi Arabia, as Hong Kong emerges as a key gateway for Middle Eastern countries to engage with China and Asia. The city’s prominence in hosting over 1,000 events annually further solidifies its role as a global hub for innovation and investment.
Organisers expect the new event to welcome over 25,000 visitors from across Asia-Pacific and beyond, featuring 200+ world class speakers, including Luanne Lim, CEO of HSBC Hong Kong; Jeanne Lim, founder & CEO of beingAI and co-creator of Sophia the Robot; and Harry Man, founding partner of Matrix Partners. The event will also host 300+ exhibitors spanning AI, fintech, healthtech, deeptech, and more, alongside dedicated investment zones, start-up showcases, and high-impact networking experiences such as LEAP East Nights.
Organisers said they hoped LEAP East would become a launchpad for companies looking to scale across Asia.
The announcement was made during the opening luncheon of ewpartners’ new Hong Kong office, which was attended by over 100 senior officials, investors, and business leaders from both Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong.
Born in Riyadh in 2021 through a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming (SAFCSP), LEAP has rapidly become the world’s fastest-scaling tech event, attracting in 2025 over 215,000 attendees, 1,800+ exhibitors, and 1,600+ investors, and announcing more than $14.9bn in deals.
In 2025 alone, the event generated an estimated economic impact of $820m.
Tahaluf said ewpartners was selected as the exclusive strategic partner for LEAP East due to its extensive expertise in cross-border business between the Middle East and Asia, as well as its strong local presence and established ecosystem relationships in Hong Kong. ewpartners has already facilitated partnerships with leading Hong Kong-based tech companies, including Alibaba Cloud under Alibaba Group, J&T Express, and Leshines, the supply chain platform under Lenovo Group.
Faisal AlKhamisi, chairman of SAFCSP said of the LEAP expansion east: “With this timely and strategic expansion, we are bringing LEAP’s award-winning vision and world-class innovation into this exciting new Hong Kong venture, creating a powerful platform for entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses to connect, collaborate and build the future of technology.”
Annabelle Mander, executive vice-president at Tahaluf, commented: “LEAP was created in Riyadh to position Saudi Arabia as a global innovation hub. After four record-breaking editions, we’re taking our next bold step, bringing LEAP to Hong Kong. This city is not only a gateway to Asia, but a proven launchpad for global ambitions. Through our partnership with ewpartners, we’re proud to build a platform that unites Saudi and Asian-Pacific innovators on one world stage.”
Jessica Wong, founder and managing partner of ewpartners, added: “Our mission at ewpartners is to unlock high-value opportunities between the Middle East and Asia. We have been partnering with Tahaluf on LEAP for five years, and LEAP East further reflects that mission in action. Hong Kong has the connectivity, credibility, and creativity to host Asia’s most ambitious tech platform, and we are honoured to help bring it to life.”
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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