Who’s coming to Saudi Arabia’s LEAP conference

Organizers of the LEAP conference in Saudi Arabia will host more than 400 speakers across six conferences during the three-day event.

Speakers will attend from a range of international and local organizations — such as Visa, Ericsson, JP Morgan, Cisco, and Huawei, as well as stc, NEOM, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

The event will host workshops and sessions based around the future of IT including, education, financial technology, electric cars and smart cities. Other specialized sessions, called Orbital Talks, will host speakers on these specific industries and topics:

• FinTech

• Future energy

• Creative economy

• Health technology

• EduTech

• Smart cities

• Retail

• The fourth industrial revolution

There will also be a startup pitch stage that will see entrepreneurs bid to attract seasoned investors. The winner of the pitch contest will receive a cash prize for their new business.

Some of the conference star speakers include:

Börje Ekholm

• President and CEO of Ericsson

• Appointed on Jan. 16, 2017

• Board member of Alibaba, Nasdaq, Trimble, and Royal Institute of Technology

Olayan Al-Wetaid

• Group CEO of Saudi Arabia’s stc

• Has over 22 years of experience in telecom

• Has held multiple board positions across several stc subsidiaries

Roberto Carlos

• FIFA World Cup-winning football player

• Former Real Madrid player

• Launched Ginga Scout, a software system connecting players with coaches across the globe

Joseph Bradley

• CEO of NEOM Tech & Digital Co.

• Served in senior roles at Cisco Systems for over 15 years

• Also worked for C3 Communications, AT&T, and Pacific Bell