LEAP East 2026 Debuts in Hong Kong, Drawing 35,000 Tech Leaders

The inaugural LEAP East 2026, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 8-10, drew over 35,000 technology professionals, policymakers, and investors from 30 countries and regions. This three-day event, the first LEAP summit staged outside Saudi Arabia, featured more than 340 speakers, 450 exhibitors, and over 400 investors, focusing on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, deep tech, smart cities, and new energy industries. The summit was organized by Media OutReach Newswire, and key figures including Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG), and Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSARG, attended alongside Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia.

Paul Chan emphasized Hong Kong's unique role as a gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland with the world, highlighting its robust intellectual property protection under common law, free flow of capital, goods, talent, and data, and low tax regime. He invited Saudi and Gulf enterprises to use Hong Kong as an international fundraising and risk-management platform, and expressed commitment to strengthening cooperation in innovation, infrastructure, green technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and professional services. Professor Sun noted that Hong Kong's startup ecosystem has surged by 40% since 2021, reaching 5,200 startups in 2025, and that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster ranked first globally in the Global Innovation Index 2025. Hong Kong also topped the world in IPOs in 2025 with 119 listings raising $35 billion.

The event underscored the deepening partnership between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, with Chan revealing plans to lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year to explore concrete projects. Professor Sun met with Alswaha to exchange views on I&T collaborations. The summit showcased Hong Kong's role as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder' for international exchanges, reflecting the rising global innovation and technology momentum. For more information, visit Brand Hong Kong at https://www.brandhk.gov.hk/.