The inaugural LEAP East 2026, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 8 to 10, gathered more than 35,000 technology professionals, policymakers, and investors from 30 countries and regions. The event, the first LEAP summit staged outside Saudi Arabia, featured over 340 speakers, 450 exhibitors, and more than 400 investors, covering cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, deep tech, smart cities, and new energy industries.
"This turnout speaks volumes about the global appeal of LEAP East and the strength of our shared vision," said Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG), at the opening ceremony. "I am particularly delighted to note that this conference will continue to be held in Hong Kong in the coming three years." Other top government officials attending included Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSARG, and Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia.
The event underscored the deepening partnership between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, highlighting Hong Kong's unique role as a gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland with the world. Chan emphasized that Hong Kong operates under a common law system with robust intellectual property protection, serves as a free port with free flow of capital, goods, talent, and data, and offers simple, low taxes. "These are the foundations on which businesses, talent, and creativity thrive," he said.
Chan invited Saudi and Gulf enterprises to use Hong Kong as an international fundraising and risk-management platform and expressed the HKSAR's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Saudi Arabia in innovation, infrastructure, green technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and professional services. "Innovation needs capital, and Hong Kong is where capital and ideas meet," he noted, referring to the city's "Finance+" strategy.
Professor Sun highlighted HKSARG's progress in promoting innovation and technology (I&T), noting that the number of start-ups in Hong Kong surged by 40% since 2021, reaching 5,200 in 2025. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster ranked first globally in the Global Innovation Index 2025, and Hong Kong ranked fourth globally in the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2025 and second in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2026. Hong Kong also topped the world in IPO in 2025, with 119 listings raising approximately US$35 billion. Sun met with Alswaha to discuss I&T collaborations between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.
Chan revealed plans to lead a Hong Kong delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year, bringing companies in infrastructure, green tech, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and professionals in finance and investment to explore concrete projects. For more information, visit Brand Hong Kong.
