The Global AI Show Riyadh, held from June 29-30, 2026, has cemented its status as a definitive anchor for the Kingdom’s newly designated "Year of Artificial Intelligence." Organized by VAP Group and powered by Times Of AI, the event co-located with Global Blockchain Show Riyadh and Global Games Show Riyadh, attracted 15,000+ registrations, welcomed 6,723 attendees, featured 100+ global speakers and 100 exhibitors, and convened a 70% CXO-level delegation from 80+ countries. This unprecedented international participation reinforced the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's growing role as a global AI powerhouse while marking a decisive shift from experimental AI pilots to centralized, nation-scale AI deployment.
The event also witnessed the announcement of VAP Group's most ambitious initiative yet: the launch of VAP Ventures, a strategic initiative to back 100 startups by 2030 and accelerate the next chapter of the global innovation ecosystem. The 2026 edition highlighted 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 steer autonomous digital agents.
The first day of the Global AI Show witnessed an opening keynote by 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 AI systems can drive real-world impact. Day 2 opened with a keynote speech by Nezar Al Turki, Chief Information Officer, 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.
The two-day summit featured panel discussions, keynote speeches, informal discussions, and industry-relevant sessions, exploring the next frontier of artificial intelligence through discussions on 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, 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 examined scalable AI deployment, investment opportunities, digital public infrastructure, intelligent automation, and the role of AI in accelerating Saudi Vision 2030 while strengthening cross-border innovation and economic collaboration. "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 at this summit will carry forward to the next Global AI Show set for Abu Dhabi on November 12-13, 2026. This creates a perfect window for the discussions at Riyadh to materialize into something tangible and distribution-ready for the Abu Dhabi edition.
