• BBC Click icons Lara Lewington and Spencer Kelly to host live future-tech demonstrations
• Aramco, L’Oreal, Adobe, Ericsson, Alwaleed Philanthropies, and XAR Labs all signed up to showcase latest innovations at inaugural Tech Arena
• Tech Arena will offer first look at next-gen design couture, medical tech, robots, AI and more

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 03 February 2025: LEAP 2025, Saudi Arabia’s award-winning global technology event, will host an array of next-gen innovations from around the world as global entrepreneurs and startups descend on Riyadh - displaying their products to over 170,000 visitors. The prototypes will be showcased inside LEAP’s inaugural Tech Arena, an innovative ‘live TV’  platform that promises to inspire curiosity,  collaboration, and the transformative potential of new technology.

Running from February 9-12 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre in Malham, the theme of the fourth edition of LEAP is ‘The Future of Tech’, and the Tech Arena platform will offer an immersive journey into robotics, artificial intelligence, healthcare technologies, mixed reality, and the prototypes that push boundaries.

Attendees will have access to live showcases and hands-on interactive experiences that bring future tech to life, while emerging talents will join major enterprises such as Aramco, L’Oreal, Adobe, Ericsson, Alwaleed Philanthropies, XAR Labs, Devoteam, and Engine VR inside the Tech Arena, to highlight the very latest trends in technology.

Unveiling Next-Gen Innovations: Robotics, AI, and Beyond

The Tech Arena’s interactive format will feature live demonstrations and sessions hosted by BBC Click icons and internationally renowned technology journalists Lara Lewington and Spencer Kelly. Designed to position visitors at the forefront of technological breakthroughs, everything from AI and Mixed Reality to Fashion Tech and Brain-Computer Interfaces will feature, providing Tech Arena visitors with a window into the future.

The Tech Arena will serve as an intersection between the worlds of design and technology. Anouk Wipprecht’s Tech Couture exhibit will blur the lines between fashion and engineering with robotic dress collections that move and react in life-like ways. Keeping in tune with the fashion tech theme, Adobe will bring its ‘Project Primrose’ digital dress, heralding a future of wearable, instantly changeable textiles opening up new paths for creativity.

Revolutionising Healthcare with AI-Driven Solutions

The inaugural Tech Arena will also feature advancements in medical technology, including the Aramco-backed Terra Drone’s long-range medical delivery tech, which can transport essential medical supplies to remote areas by air. The Aramco technology has the potential to revolutionise healthcare access in underserved communities, and the company will demonstrate its latest AI-trained assistant SARA (Saudi Aramco Robotics Assistant), which leverages AI to streamline decision-making and provide intuitive, personalised interactions.

Elsewhere inside the Tech Arena, US-based Engine VR will exhibit its Golden Gloves VR platform, which uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive, gamified boxing experience for fitness enthusiasts, professional athletes, and entertainment seekers. Professional UFC fighter Andrew Sanchez will be giving live demonstrations of the new technology, and attendees will have the opportunity to experience the platform themselves across various experience levels and scenarios.

Global Innovators Converge at LEAP 2025

Additionally, Alwaleed Philanthropies, a Saudi Arabian NGO, that initiates, supports, and collaborates on projects around the world, will be demonstrating an AI reporting tool called Atlai,  designed to preserve the world’s natural forests and combat deforestation. Atlai leverages AI technology to monitor and generate reports on deforestation events worldwide for advocates of the protection of global ecosystems.

Attendees can also learn about XPANCEO’s smart contact lenses, which integrate computing power directly into a weightless wearable device. The lenses usher in a new era of seamless interaction with data in any environment.

“At XPANCEO, we are looking forward to showcasing our revolutionary smart contact lenses at LEAP 2025’s inaugural Tech Arena,” said Dr Valentyn Volkov, the co-founder of XPANCEO. “Our innovative wearable technology promises to advance the seamless integration of human senses and data, and we believe LEAP 2025 is the perfect platform to introduce our newest advances in AR vision technology.”

Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President of Tahaluf, who co-organises LEAP with the Saudi Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP), highlighted some of the benefits that innovative startups from around the world can expect.

“The Tech Arena is a unique opportunity to experience tomorrow’s world today,” she said. “With more than 170,000 attendees anticipated, exhibitors will have the chance to captivate a diverse audience of tech professionals, enthusiasts, and investors. This inaugural segment will host the most innovative and impactful technologies from budding innovators worldwide, who will, in return, gain unparalleled exposure and receive valuable feedback on their groundbreaking solutions.”

Mander added that the new arena exemplifies Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 commitment to inspire and foster innovation. “By creating a space where innovators can connect with global audiences and investors, we’re contributing to the Kingdom’s goal of becoming an impactful global tech hub.”

The Tech Arena is one of two transformative new stages at LEAP 2025, the other offering a series of sessions focused on SportsTech. These additions reinforce LEAP’s mission to inspire, innovate, and push industry boundaries into new worlds, propelling LEAP and Saudi Arabia towards new standards in innovation and technological advancement.