In a move that confirms the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the field of technology, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Abdullah Al-Sawaha, announced during the opening of the LEAP East 2026 conference in Hong Kong that the Kingdom is building one of the most ready and available artificial intelligence infrastructure in the world. The announcement reflects Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a global hub that connects the artificial intelligence ecosystem between East and West.
What was announced exactly?
On July 8, 2026, and during the LEAP East conference held in Hong Kong — the first international version of the LEAP conference that was launched from Riyadh 5 years ago — Minister Al-Sawaha participated in the conference sessions that brought together more than 25,000 participants, 340 speakers, 450 exhibitors, and more than 600 investors representing assets worth over $6.5 trillion.
The Kingdom revealed its ambitious plan to develop 6.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2034, of which 3 gigawatts by 2030, supported by 12.8 gigawatts of available electrical power today. This makes Saudi Arabia one of the fastest countries in the world to provide the necessary energy for computing and artificial intelligence projects.
The Saudi digital economy in numbers
The Saudi digital economy grew by 75% over the past eight years to reach $139 billion. The non-oil digital contribution to GDP reached 16%. These numbers reflect a real transformation in the structure of the Saudi economy towards innovation and technology.
Why Saudi Arabia? And what does this mean for the citizen?
The Kingdom has placed artificial intelligence at the heart of its national strategy. In March 2026, the Council of Ministers approved the naming of 2026 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence”, with government and private investments reaching 93 billion riyals (24.8 billion dollars).
The Saudi citizen will feel the impact of these investments in:
- Government services: 60% of government services will operate with artificial intelligence
- Jobs: training 50,000 artificial intelligence specialists by 2030
- Health: faster and more accurate disease diagnosis
- Education: smart curricula that fit each student’s abilities
- Business: an encouraging environment for start-ups and technology companies
Major global partnerships
The conference witnessed the announcement of major technology companies expanding in Saudi Arabia, including ByteDance (owner of TikTok), Lenovo, and Tencent. Also, the new Microsoft Azure region in Saudi Arabia will launch officially in the fourth quarter of 2026. These partnerships mean that Saudi Arabia has not
The East represents today an economy worth 34 trillion dollars (30% of the global GDP), producing 82% of the world’s artificial intelligence patents and 90% of advanced chip manufacturing. Saudi Arabia’s strategic location makes it the perfect bridge to connect this giant Eastern economy to the West.
Key Points
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia is the world’s first in providing energy for artificial intelligence projects
- 📊 Saudi digital economy: $139 billion and 75% growth
- 🏗️ 6.9 gigawatts of data centers by 2034
- 🎓 50,000 artificial intelligence specialists by 2030
- 🤝 Major companies (ByteDance, Tencent, Lenovo) choose Saudi Arabia
- 🌐 Microsoft Azure will launch in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2026
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs this artificial intelligence infrastructure?
Everyone! Startups, developers, researchers, universities, and government agencies — anyone who needs high computing power to run artificial intelligence applications will benefit from this infrastructure, which provides computing power at a lower cost and higher speed.
Where are these data centers located?
In several regions of the Kingdom, including Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Eastern Province, with plans to expand to other cities. The Kingdom has 12.8 gigawatts of available electrical capacity to support these projects.
What is the cost of these technological investments?
94 billion riyals (approximately $25 billion) in government and private investments in artificial intelligence, including infrastructure, training, scientific research, and governance.
How long will these projects take?
In phases: 3 gigawatts of data centers by 2030, and 6.9 gigawatts by 2034. The basic infrastructure has already started operating.
How can I benefit from these projects as a citizen?
In direct and indirect ways: faster government services, new job opportunities in technology fields, a better environment for startups, and artificial intelligence applications in health and education will serve you and your family. If you are a programmer or interested in technology, this is your golden opportunity to train and work in this field.
