Riyadh to Host Global AI Summit 2026 with 150 Countries Participating

The Largest Global AI Gathering in the Region

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 25, 2026 - The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has announced that it will host the Global AI Summit 2026 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

Summit Details

Basic Information

Location: King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, Riyadh
Date: September 15-18, 2026
Participants: 150 countries, 50,000 expected visitors
Speakers: More than 500 experts and tech leaders

Main Themes

Generative AI
- Future of large language models
- AI applications in creative content
- Ethical and regulatory challenges
AI in Industry
- Smart manufacturing and robotics
- Predictive maintenance
- Smart supply chains
AI and Sustainability
- Energy efficiency optimization
- Environmental and climate monitoring
- Smart agriculture
AI Governance
- Global regulatory frameworks
- AI ethics
- Privacy and data protection

Prominent Speakers

Tech Company Leaders

Sam Altman - CEO of OpenAI
Sundar Pichai - CEO of Google
Satya Nadella - CEO of Microsoft
Jensen Huang - CEO of NVIDIA

Researchers and Academics

Yoshua Bengio - Deep learning pioneer
Fei-Fei Li - Director of Stanford AI Lab
Demis Hassabis - CEO of DeepMind

Accompanying Events

Innovation Exhibition

200 exhibiting companies from around the world
Live demonstrations of latest AI technologies
Special zone for Saudi startups

AI Hackathon

$5 million in prizes
Challenges in multiple fields
Investment opportunities for winners

Specialized Workshops

Hands-on training on latest tools
Certificates accredited by major companies
Career mentoring sessions

Expected Announcements

From Saudi Arabia

Launch of first large Arabic language model
New strategic partnerships with global companies
AI scholarship programs

From Global Companies

New AI products
Investments in the Arab region
Regional research centers

Economic Impact

Studies expect the summit to achieve:

$500 million in direct tourism revenue
$2 billion in deals and agreements
10,000 jobs temporary and permanent

Registration and Participation

Ticket Categories

Category	Price	Features
Standard	$500	Main sessions + Exhibition
Advanced	$1,500	All above + Workshops
VIP	$5,000	All above + Private sessions

Early Registration

30% discount for registration before end of March 2026.

Statements

SDAIA's President stated:

"The Global AI Summit will put Riyadh on the map of global tech capitals. We are preparing to host the most important tech event of 2026."

This summit represents an exceptional opportunity for the Kingdom to strengthen its position as a regional and global center for artificial intelligence.