RIYADH: More than 400 emerging global and local technology companies are set to participate at the region’s one of leading technology conferences “LEAP” which kicks off its second edition in Riyadh in February. Taking place from Feb.6 to Feb.9 at the Riyadh Front Center for Exhibitions and Conventions, the conference will be launched under the title “Towards New Horizons.” The conference is organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, and UAE-based IT services and consulting firm Tahaluf, according to a statement. The conference will also see participation from several major government and private agencies, as well as technology and communications companies. With more than 700 speakers from 50 counties and 900 local and international companies expected to attend, this year"s edition of LEAP represents a huge economic advance in the Kingdom through many partnerships, deals, and investment tours. Attendees include some of the most important global players in technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, as well as a group of the brightest innovators, investors, and those interested in sustainable technologies from all over the world, according to the press release. Female participation in this year’s edition is expected to be more than 35 percent of the total speakers. The event is set to address several topics including the innovative economy, financial technologies, smart cities, health technologies, the fourth industrial revolution, clean technology, and retail trade, in addition to many other topics such as the future of energy and educational technologies. Moreover, the conference will include seven platforms in which more than 400 keynote speeches and dialogue sessions will be held. There will be the main platform, four platforms for specialized sessions, with two topics presented in each, the investors’ platform, and the “Deep Fest” platform. The investors’ platform is expected to witness huge investment deals with the presence of major technical agencies from around the globe. As for the “Deep Fest” platform, it will be launched on Feb.7 under the title "Beyond Imagination", to highlight artificial intelligence initiatives and the latest innovations across many sectors. The LEAP technical conference also cements the Kingdom"s position as a major center for technology and innovation as well as a meeting point for technical thought leaders.