LEAP East 2026, the international technology and information technology exhibition, officially opened on August 8th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This is the first time the event has been held outside of Saudi Arabia. The three-day technology conference has attracted approximately 35,000 participants from over 30 countries and regions to Hong Kong. Saudi Arabian technology giant Elm chose Hong Kong as the first stop on its first trip to Asia, expressing strong interest in collaborating with the local government to develop smart cities and establish strategic gateways to broader regional markets. Elm, backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign public investment fund, provides digital solutions for governments and businesses. Al-Arifi noted that while company executives only had brief discussions with Hong Kong officials during the exhibition, the company expressed a strong "interest" in exploring how to participate in the Northern Metropolis project. He added that the company will assess the results of this trip before future visits and expressed strong interest in participating in more local platforms and exhibitions in the future. (South China Morning Post)
