KARACHI: Pakistan’s Information Technology (IT) Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja was in Riyadh to attend LEAP 2026, one of the world’s major technology summits, the Pakistani IT ministry said on Monday, with Pakistani firms gearing up to showcase their growing expertise in the digital realm.
LEAP 2026, a four-day global technology event opening in Riyadh on Monday, will bring together more than 1,800 technology companies, 600 startups, 1,900 investors and over 1,000 speakers as Saudi Arabia pours investment into technology and innovation under its Vision 2030 economic transformation plan.
Pakistan will have a dedicated pavilion featuring 20 technology companies through the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), while other Pakistani firms and startups will also attend the event independently.
IT Minister Khawaja will attend the opening ceremony of the event and deliver a keynote address, besides attending a key meeting on Pakistan Compute Consortium on the sidelines of the event, according to her ministry.
“The federal minister will formally inaugurate Pakistani Pavilion at ‘LEAP 2026’,” the ministry said, adding that she is also scheduled to hold an important meeting with the head of the Saudi Digital Government Authority.
Khawaja will also meet other important figures during the visit.
Pakistan recorded its largest-ever presence at LEAP last year, with more than 100 companies and over 1,500 delegates, according to a post-event report by PSEB. Its annual report said Pakistan’s participation generated $9.74 million in business and 78 leads.
Khizer Ahmed Siddiqui, founding member and director of KAACIB handyman services provider, said his company’s participation last year had gone a step further, opening the way for it to establish an office in Riyadh.
“After the 2025 LEAP, we got the opportunity to have a local presence in Riyadh, and Alhamdulillah we are going to develop our office over there,” Siddiqui told Arab News last week.
“And what we are looking forward to, right now in 2026, is to have more opportunities, more partnerships, more connections, more business, and more local presence in Saudi Arabia.”
