Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – The Global AI Show Riyadh was held from 29-30th June,2026. It sealed its place as the main anchor event for the Kingdom’s newly named “Year of Artificial Intelligence.”
The event was a clear success, despite the tough geopolitical climate. It was organized by VAP Group and powered by Times Of AI. It ran alongside Global Blockchain Show Riyadh and Global Games Show Riyadh.
The Event in Numbers
The two-day summit:
- Drew 15,000+ registrations
- Welcomed 6,723 attendees
- Featured 100+ global speakers and 100 exhibitors
- Brought together a 70% CXO-level delegation from 80+ countries
This record global turnout backed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global AI powerhouse. It also marked a clear shift. AI is moving from small test projects to a central rollout across the whole nation.
The Global AI Show set an example of how to build a space for teamwork, useful talks, and, in the end, action. It linked the newest tech with large, real-world uses across many sectors and government bodies.
The event also saw the announcement of VAP Group’s most ambitious plan yet: The launch of VAP Ventures. The plan is to back 100 startups by 2030 and speed up the next chapter of global innovation.
The 2026 edition put the spotlight on the “Human-AI Interaction” framework. Keynote talks focused on planning for staff, AI-driven hiring, and training. The goal is to give young Saudi talent the skills to guide AI agents that act on their own.
Thought Leaders and Visionaries From Around the World
The Global AI Show welcomed guests from all over the world, including AI fans, developers, and government officials. This mix shows that AI isn’t just an idea anymore. It is being used across industries as a key tool to improve how work gets done.
The first day opened with a keynote by Dr. Mohammed Nasser Alshahrani, Executive Advisor to the Minister, Council of Economic and Development Affairs,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He spoke on why good data will decide the winners of the AI era. He also explained how AI systems that are trusted and open can make a real-world impact.
Day 2 opened with a keynote by Nezar Al Turki, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of National Guard, He spoke about the shift from going digital to going AI. He also covered the leaders, rules, and staff that firms need to grow with AI.
Practical Lessons From The Global AI Show Riyadh
The two-day summit had panels, keynote speeches, casual talks, and sessions on specific industries. The talks gave real examples and chances to bring AI further into today’s industries.
The summit looked at the next frontier of AI. Topics included:
- Agentic AI
- Sovereign AI infrastructure
- AI change inside firms
- Responsible governance
- AI-powered healthcare
- New ideas in finance
- Cybersecurity
- Growing skills for workers
- The future of human-AI teamwork
Michael Lints, Founding Partner MENA, Golden Gate Ventures remarked, “The AI era is reshaping venture capital. Today’s founders need more than funding, they need access to infrastructure, strategic partnerships and global networks that help them move from breakthrough ideas to scalable businesses faster than ever before!”
The sessions also covered how to roll out AI at scale and where to invest. They looked at digital public services, smart automation, and how AI can speed up Saudi Vision 2030. They also asked how to boost new ideas and trade ties across borders. For more on the wider Riyadh event series, see our report on the Global Blockchain Show Riyadh 2026.
Notable Speakers
- Dr. Ibraheem Sheerah, Chief Transformation Officer, Digital Transformation & Technology, Saudi Arabian Airlines Holding (Saudia Group)
- Eng. Layla AlSalehi, Director General, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Paul Pacifico, Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Music Commission, Ministry of Culture
- Nate Busa, Executive Director, AI & Emerging Technologies, NEOM
- Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner, 500 Global MENA
- Kalyana Sivagnanam, Group Chief Executive Officer, Petromin Corporation
- Ayman Alhabib, Chief Data & AI Officer, D360 Bank
- Abdulrahman Alonaizan, Head of Data & Artificial Intelligence, Arab National Bank (ANB)
- Alyn Bailey, Chief Human Resources Officer, Albawani Holding
- Abdulaziz Al-Ghufaili, AI & Digital Transformation Leader, Saudi Aramco
- Abdullah Alshargi, AI & Innovation Executive, Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA)
- Aamir Khalid Pirzada, Chief Technology Officer, Mozn
- Dr. Mohamed Alhussein, Artificial Intelligence Advisor & Digital Transformation Leader
- Global AI founders, policymakers, investors, researchers, and enterprise technology leaders representing 80+ countries, driving discussions on the future of agentic AI, enterprise transformation, and sovereign AI ecosystems.
New Ideas on the Show Floor
The show floor was a lively hub of new ideas. It brought together a wide mix of top tech firms, AI pioneers, startups, and service providers. They showed the latest work shaping the future of AI.
Exhibitors and sponsors covered many areas. These ran from AI for big firms and cybersecurity to HR tech, system monitoring, self-driving systems, and smart infrastructure. They showed real-world tools that led to useful deals, sparked investment talks, and helped more industries adopt tech.
Notable Exhibitors
- Zen HR
- Netskope
- Nournet
- Magna AI
- Sarj Digital Information Technology CO.
- Edarat Group
- NTT Data
- Dynatrace
- Scale AI
- AQUIVIO Inc.
- Takween
- SAS
- Thethinkthankx
- ait
- Emotii
- OPM UAE
- Fanruan Software
- ManageEngine
- Wakeb Data Company
- Kamsora
- Sigmix Inc.
- Cloud Wave Telecommunications and Information Technology Company LLC
- Spark.ai
- Open
- Sirma Group Holding
- Wafra Greentech
AI Moves From an Afterthought to a Key Driver of New Ideas
It’s no surprise to see AI changing how industries work these days. It does everything from writing simple reports to improving workflows in key areas like healthcare. The technology has made almost every part of work more efficient.
The Global AI Show united innovators, regulators, and policymakers under one roof. The goal was to make sure AI is scaled and built into systems responsibly. The previous edition is covered in our report on the Global AI Show Abu Dhabi 2025.
Vishal Parmar, Founder & CEO, VAP Group, said:
“What we’ve built with the Global AI Show goes far beyond a conference into a catalyst for global innovation. Seeing thousands of innovators, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs come together in Riyadh has been incredibly inspiring.
Our vision has always been to create a platform where conversations lead to collaboration and collaboration leads to action. VAP Ventures is the natural next step in that journey, empowering founders who will shape the future of global innovation.”
The momentum from this summit will carry forward to the next Global AI Show set for Abu Dhabi on 12-13 November, 2026. This gives a good window for the ideas from Riyadh to turn into something real and ready to share at the Abu Dhabi edition.
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About Global AI Show
The Global AI Show is the top global stage where the future of AI is shaped. It is hosted by VAP Group. This leading AI summit unites top business leaders from around the world, policymakers with vision, and tech pioneers. Together they move past the hype and deal with the real-world impact of AI.
About VAP Group
With 13+ years of expertise, VAP Group is a premier global consulting and media powerhouse driving the next wave of technology-led growth.
Through its media network and main events, VAP Group links policymakers, firms, and innovators worldwide. These events include the Global AI Show, Global Games Show, and Global Blockchain Show. VAP Group helps with PR and messaging, builds ties across the ecosystem, and helps firms find talent.
Media Enquiries: media@globalaishow.com
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