The financial and technological corridors connecting the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region are tightening as Tahaluf‘s marquee tech assembly, LEAP East, builds unprecedented institutional momentum. Ahead of its inaugural Asian showcase at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from July 8–10, 2026, the platform has confirmed the participation of over 200 tier-one investors wielding a collective $2trillion in assets under management (AUM).
Crucially for the scaling startup ecosystem, these confirmed backers—hailing primarily from Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United States—command close to $1trillion in undeployed capital, or “dry powder,” actively earmarked for emerging growth sectors. The massive concentration of liquidity signals a structural shift in how cross-border venture capital and private equity deals will be brokered between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and East Asian technology hubs.
Marquee Capital Targets Strategic Sectors
The incoming investment syndicate features an elite mix of sovereign wealth funds, institutional asset managers, and corporate venture arms. Marquee participants already confirmed include Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Macquarie Capital, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Sinovation Ventures, Gobi Partners, and White Star Capital.
This concentrated financial muscle is targeting sectors seeing rising commercial and strategic overlap between the two hemispheres. Chief among these are artificial intelligence and deep technology, financial services and fintech, health and biotechnology, green energy, and advanced agritech. Over 150 high-growth startups and scaleups, including Bering Lab, NanoPalm, DevWing.ai, and DRESIO, are already live on the roster to interface directly with this pool of capital.
“LEAP East reflects the increasing alignment between Asia and the Middle East as two of the world’s fastest-evolving technology and investment markets,” stated Annabelle Mander, executive vice president and co-creator of LEAP at Tahaluf. “We are seeing significant interest from investors, founders and technology companies looking to accelerate cross-border partnerships, particularly across AI, fintech and emerging technologies shaping the future economy. Hong Kong provides a powerful gateway for these conversations, connecting capital, innovation and global market opportunities on an international platform.”
HKSTP Anchors the Regional Tech Ecosystem
To anchor these transcontinental deals within a highly integrated environment, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP)—Hong Kong’s largest innovation and technology ecosystem—has stepped in as the exclusive Tech Ecosystem Partner for the event.
Terry Wong, chief executive officer of HKSTP, noted that the accelerating velocity of innovation and investment between Asia and the Middle East creates an exceptional runway for technology companies looking to scale internationally. Wong explained that as an ecosystem orchestrator, HKSTP connects innovators with immediate market opportunities across the Chinese Mainland, Asia, and global networks to drive high-impact creation. He added that LEAP East creates a valuable platform for companies and innovators to gain access to investors and enterprise partners from the Middle East, strengthening cross-regional collaboration and accelerating international growth.
Building on a Billion Dollar Foundation
The Hong Kong debut builds directly on the track record of the primary LEAP platform in Riyadh, which has facilitated billions of dollars in technology announcements, commercial partnerships, and sovereign investment activity since its launch in 2022. By introducing curated investor programs, startup pitch arenas, and closed-door matchmaking workshops, LEAP East transitions from a traditional tech exhibition into an active economic corridor.
Organized by Tahaluf—the powerful joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund, with event production leader Sela poised to join—the summit represents a highly synchronized effort to normalize global multi-rail trade. As international asset managers look to diversify their portfolios and deploy capital into the next generation of automated, intelligent commerce, the July gathering is set to dictate the terms of transcontinental technology investment for years to come.
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