Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The Global AI Show Riyadh, held from 29-30 June 2026, cemented its status as a defining platform for the Kingdom's newly designated "Year of Artificial Intelligence."
Defying the challenges of the prevailing geopolitical landscape, the event, organized by VAP Group and powered by Times of AI, emerged as a resounding success. Co-located with Global Blockchain Show Riyadh and Global Games Show Riyadh, the two-day summit attracted 15,000+ registrations, welcomed 6,723 attendees, featured 100+ global speakers and 100 exhibitors, and brought together a 70% CXO-level delegation from 80+ countries.
The scale of international participation reinforced Saudi Arabia's growing role as a global AI powerhouse while underscoring a broader shift from experimental AI pilots to centralized, nation-scale AI deployment.
As a forward-looking platform, the Global AI Show created space for collaboration, constructive dialogue, and real action, connecting emerging technologies with large-scale applications across multiple sectors and government entities. The event also featured the launch of VAP Ventures, VAP Group's strategic initiative to back 100 startups by 2030 and accelerate the next chapter of the global innovation ecosystem.
The 2026 edition also emphasized the "Human-AI Interaction" framework. Keynote tracks focused heavily on workforce planning, AI-driven recruitment, and upskilling programs designed to equip the next generation of Saudi talent with the tools required to guide autonomous digital agents.
A Worldwide Convergence
The Global AI Show welcomed AI enthusiasts, developers, founders, enterprise leaders, investors, and government officials from around the world. That range of attendees made it clear that AI is no longer a future concept. It is already being adopted across industries as a core driver of operational improvement and decision-making.
Day one opened with a keynote from Dr. Mohammed Nasser Alshahrani, Executive Advisor to the Minister, Council of Economic and Development Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on why data quality will define the winners of the AI era and how trustworthy, transparent systems can create real-world impact.
Day two began with a keynote from Nezar Al Turki, Chief Information Officer at the Ministry of National Guard, outlining the shift from digital transformation to AI transformation and the leadership, governance, and workforce foundations required to scale AI-driven enterprises.
Actionable Insights From Riyadh
The summit's agenda featured panel discussions, keynote speeches, informal discussions, and industry-focused sessions designed to show how AI can be applied in practical, modern business settings. Major themes included agentic AI, sovereign AI infrastructure, enterprise AI transformation, responsible governance, AI-powered healthcare, financial services innovation, cybersecurity, workforce development, and the future of human-AI collaboration.
Michael Lints, Founding Partner MENA at 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 explored scalable AI deployment, investment opportunities, digital public infrastructure, intelligent automation, and the role AI can play in accelerating Saudi Vision 2030 while strengthening cross-border innovation and economic collaboration.
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)
The broader lineup also included founders, policymakers, investors, researchers, and enterprise technology leaders representing more than 80 countries, helping shape conversations around the future of agentic AI, enterprise transformation, and sovereign AI ecosystems.
Exhibition Spotlight
The exhibition floor served as a vibrant hub of innovation, bringing together AI pioneers, startups, solution providers, and enterprise technology companies showcasing real-world advancements across enterprise AI platforms, cybersecurity, HR technology, observability, autonomous systems, and intelligent infrastructure.
Notable exhibitors included Zen HR, Netskope, Nournet, Magna AI, Edarat Group, NTT Data, Dynatrace, Scale AI, SAS, ManageEngine, and Wakeb Data Company.
From Afterthought to Driver
From report generation to optimizing workflows in critical sectors like healthcare, AI has moved from being an afterthought to becoming a key driver of innovation. The Global AI Show brought innovators, regulators, and policymakers under one roof to examine how that scale-up can happen responsibly.
"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," said Vishal Parmar, Founder & CEO, VAP Group.
The momentum established in Riyadh now carries forward to the next Global AI Show Abu Dhabi, set for 12-13 November 2026, offering a natural next window for many of the conversations and partnerships launched in Saudi Arabia to continue developing.
About Global AI Show
The Global AI Show is an international stage where the future of artificial intelligence is actively shaped. Hosted by VAP Group, the summit brings together global CXOs, policymakers, founders, and technology leaders to move beyond hype and focus on 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 ecosystem and flagship events, including the Global AI Show, Global Games Show, and Global Blockchain Show, VAP Group connects policymakers, enterprises, and innovators worldwide, enabling strategic communications, ecosystem-building, and talent solutions.
Media Enquiries: media@globalaishow.com