Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha affirmed that under the leadership of 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, Saudi Arabia is advancing toward building one of the world’s most accessible and AI-ready digital infrastructures, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner in enabling the digital economy and connecting the East and the West.
Speaking at the opening of LEAP East 2026 in Hong Kong, Alswaha noted that LEAP, which was launched in Riyadh five years ago, has evolved into a global technology movement that has generated a multiplier effect not only across the Kingdom and the region but around the world. He added that LEAP’s expansion to the East reflects the region’s growing importance as a global hub for shaping the future of technology and artificial intelligence.
The minister highlighted that the East today represents a $34 trillion economy, accounting for nearly 30% of global GDP, with a $10 trillion digital economy and a population of 3.7 billion people, representing approximately 46% of the world’s population. He emphasized that the East offers not only scale but is also building the very foundation of the artificial intelligence age.
He further noted that 82% of the world’s AI patents originate from the East, while the region accounts for 60% of the global semiconductor market and 90% of advanced chip manufacturing, making it a global powerhouse for computing and artificial intelligence.
Alswaha also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s achievements over the past several years, noting that the Kingdom’s digital economy has grown by 75% over the past eight years to reach $139 billion. The contribution of the non-oil digital economy to GDP has increased to 16%, while the Kingdom’s operational data center capacity has reached 467 MW, representing 47% of the total data center capacity across the Middle East and North Africa.
He emphasized that the empowerment of Saudi women represents one of the Kingdom’s greatest global success stories. Women’s participation in the ICT workforce has increased from 7% to 35%, surpassing the averages of both the European Union and Silicon Valley, while Saudi women now rank among the world’s leaders in AI participation and empowerment.
On digital infrastructure, Alswaha emphasized that Saudi Arabia is building 6.9 GW of data center capacity by 2034, including 3 GW by 2030, supported by 12.8 GW of available power capacity today. This positions the Kingdom among the fastest countries globally in providing power for computing and AI infrastructure projects.
Concluding his remarks, the minister stated that Saudi Arabia brings together the three essential pillars for success in the AI era—compute, customers, and capital—adding that leading global companies from the East have already begun investing and expanding in the Kingdom, including ByteDance, Lenovo, and Tencent.
