LEAP East to debut in Hong Kong in July 2026

By AI, Created 4:53 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – LEAP East will make its Asia debut July 8-10, 2026, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, aiming to connect technology companies, investors and innovators across Asia and the Middle East. The event comes as Gulf-Asia trade and cross-border investment accelerate, with Hong Kong positioned as a gateway for that growth.

Why it matters: - LEAP East is expanding LEAP into Asia for the first time. - The event is designed to connect global technology, capital and innovation in one market. - Hong Kong gains another platform to attract cross-border investment and partnerships between Asia and the Middle East. - The timing aligns with rising regional commerce, including US$516 billion in Gulf-Asia trade in 2024.

What happened: - LEAP East will take place from 8-10 July 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. - Tahaluf is launching the event as the inaugural regional edition of LEAP. - The event will bring together technology leaders, investors and innovators from APAC and the Middle East. - The program will include an elite speaker lineup, international pavilions and robotics demonstrations.

The details: - LEAP East builds on more than US$44.8 billion in announced investments connected to the LEAP ecosystem since 2022. - Tahaluf says the event is meant to accelerate cross-border capital and collaboration. - Speakers include Ben Goodman of Adobe, Richie Chen of HAI Robotics, Tim Ying of Octopus and Minami Maeda of Rakuten Medical. - Goodman will discuss creative intelligence and content supply chains. - Chen will focus on autonomous logistics. - Ying will examine how electronic payments can evolve into smart city infrastructure. - Maeda will discuss the intersection of deep-tech and life sciences. - International pavilions will include the UK, India, Pakistan and China (Zhejiang). - The UK pavilion will showcase innovation and technology strengths and opportunities under the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. - Tahaluf is headquartered in Riyadh. - Tahaluf is a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity Programming and Drones and the Events Investment Fund. - Sela is also set to join the venture. - Tahaluf also runs LEAP, DeepFest, Money20/20 Middle East, Black Hat MEA, Cityscape Global, Global Health Exhibition and CPHI Middle East. - More information is available at Tahaluf and LEAP East.

Between the lines: - The event is being positioned less as a conference and more as a deal-making venue. - Hong Kong’s role as a connector between Asian and Middle East capital is a central theme. - The speaker roster suggests a focus on practical use cases, not just broad technology trends. - The emphasis on pavilions points to government and ecosystem-level participation, not only corporate attendance. - The cited trade and digital-economy figures underscore why organizers see the region as commercially attractive now.

What’s next: - LEAP East will open registration and programming momentum ahead of the July 2026 event. - Organizers are expected to use the Hong Kong debut to deepen ties between tech markets in Asia and the Middle East. - The event may serve as a launch point for new partnerships, investments and market entries.

The bottom line: - LEAP East is bringing a major tech and investment platform to Hong Kong with an explicit goal: turn cross-regional interest into business outcomes.