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 three-day 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.
Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG), emphasized the significance of the turnout at the opening ceremony. "This turnout speaks volumes about the global appeal of LEAP East and the strength of our shared vision," Chan said. He also announced that the conference will continue to be held in Hong Kong for the next three years. Other top 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 and highlighted Hong Kong's unique role as a gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland with the world. Chan noted that Hong Kong is perhaps the only city that connects seamlessly to both the Chinese Mainland and the rest of the world, operating under a common law system with robust intellectual property protection, free flow of capital, goods, talent, and data, and a simple, low tax regime. He invited Saudi and Gulf enterprises to use Hong Kong as an international fundraising and risk-management platform.
Chan 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. This is the heart of our 'Finance+' strategy - using finance as a powerful enabler to drive the real economy," he said.
Professor Sun highlighted the HKSARG's progress in innovation and technology (I&T), noting that the number of start-ups in Hong Kong has 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, including many global tech champions. Professor Sun met with Mr. 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 leading companies in infrastructure, green tech, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, along with finance and investment professionals, to explore concrete projects and further partnership. For more information, visit Brand Hong Kong.
