LEAP 2026 brought together some of the most ambitious founders, investors, developers, and technology leaders across the globe to Riyadh. COLABS hosted a mix of workshops, hackathons, founder sessions, networking gatherings, and ecosystem events across LEAP Week, bringing different communities together under one roof.
On August 30th, COLABS partnered with Grona AI, Salesflo, and Gemini to host developers for an AI hackathon, giving around 50 participants the opportunity to experiment, build, and explore new possibilities with Gemini. With free credits from Gemini and COLABS day passes for the top three winners, the session added a hands-on element to the conversations around AI which was one of the pillar talking points at LEAP.
The week also included a more intimate AI-focused session with NVIDIA’s Basil Fateen through Signals, on August 31st, bringing together young founders and builders for conversations around emerging technologies and the opportunities ahead.
Alongside the technology-focused events, COLABS also hosted a CCC workshop with Zainab Anwar, bringing 20 attendees together for a hands-on creative experience. Community building is a cornerstone of COLABS’ offering and this gathering reflected exactly that by providing a platform for people to create, and connect in the midst of a very hectic LEAP week.
The conversations at COLABS were not limited to technology and extended into the wider startup and investment ecosystem with “New Worlds, Built Here”, an event hosted in collaboration with Gobi Partners and MayRock. The panel talk brought together founders, investors, and industry leaders for conversations around innovation, investment, and Saudi Arabia’s growing role on the global stage.
With voices from companies including Foodics, Aila, Spice, and Huspy KSA, alongside a fireside conversation with Gobi Partners’ Chibo Tang, the evening created space for different perspectives on where the Kingdom’s ecosystem is heading.
The week then culminated in the COLABS × Shorooq VIP Mixer, bringing together 200 founders, investors, partners, and VIP guests for an evening of candid conversation. Keynotes from Omar Shah and Shane Shin set the tone for an evening focused on connection across the ecosystem, closing out a week that had brought together many of the same communities in different ways.
As Riyadh continues to build what comes next, COLABS will continue creating the spaces where those people can meet.
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