RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — The Global AI Show Riyadh, held from June 29-30, 2026, has solidified its role as a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s “Year of Artificial Intelligence,” drawing over 6,700 attendees from 80 countries and featuring more than 100 speakers and exhibitors. Organized by VAP Group and powered by Times Of AI, the event underlined a shift from experimental AI pilots to centralized, nation-scale AI deployment, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global AI powerhouse.
The summit brought together a 70% CXO-level delegation, including government officials, investors, and technologists, to discuss the “Human-AI Interaction” framework. Keynote addresses by Dr. Mohammed Nasser Alshahrani, Executive Advisor to the Minister, Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Nezar Al Turki, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of National Guard, emphasized data quality, trustworthy AI systems, and the leadership foundations needed for AI-driven enterprises.
A major announcement was the launch of VAP Ventures, a strategic initiative to back 100 startups by 2030. Vishal Parmar, Founder & CEO of VAP Group, stated, “What we’ve built with the Global AI Show goes far beyond a conference into a catalyst for global innovation. VAP Ventures is the natural next step in that journey, empowering founders who will shape the future of global innovation.”
The event explored agentic AI, sovereign AI infrastructure, enterprise AI transformation, and responsible governance, with sessions on AI-powered healthcare, financial services innovation, cybersecurity, and workforce development. Michael Lints, Founding Partner MENA, Golden Gate Ventures, noted the reshaping of venture capital in the AI era, emphasizing the need for founders to access infrastructure and strategic partnerships.
The momentum will carry forward to the next Global AI Show scheduled for Abu Dhabi on November 12-13, 2026, where discussions from Riyadh are expected to materialize into tangible solutions. The Global AI Show continues to serve as a platform for connecting emerging technologies with large-scale, real-world applications across sectors and government entities.
