LEAP 2026: HPE Expands ‘Saudi Made’ Strategy With New AI, Production And Innovation Initiatives
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has announced a series of new investments and initiatives at LEAP 2026 aimed at expanding Saudi Arabia’s technology production and innovation capabilities. The announcements include the launch of the ‘Saudi Made, Developed, Deployed’ initiative with Intel and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, an expansion of HPE’s locally produced technology portfolio and plans for a new Saudi Innovation Center at HPE’s new Riyadh offices.
Together, the initiatives are intended to connect locally manufactured infrastructure with Saudi-developed software, AI solutions, engineering expertise and deployment capabilities, supporting the Kingdom’s ambitions under Saudi Vision 2030. “The investments we are announcing at LEAP represent the next phase of HPE’s long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia,” said Mohammad Alrehaili, Vice President and Managing Director, Middle East, HPE. “By expanding our local infrastructure production and connecting it with Saudi-developed technology, skills and integration and support service capabilities, we are helping customers accelerate innovation while strengthening the Kingdom’s end-to-end technology ecosystem.”
Announced during LEAP 2026, the ‘Saudi Made, Developed, Deployed’ programme brings together HPE, Intel and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to accelerate the development, validation and commercialisation of AI and digital transformation solutions within Saudi Arabia. The initiative is designed to combine locally produced infrastructure with Saudi-developed applications and intellectual property, alongside implementation and support from Saudi-based organisations. The partners aim to create market-ready solutions and blueprints for priority industries.
“A competitive digital economy depends on local capability, skilled talent and an ecosystem that can turn ideas into solutions with measurable impact,” said Nasser Al Nasser, Technology Deputy Minster, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. “The ’Saudi Made, Developed, Deployed’ program will bring together technology leaders, Saudi innovators and local delivery expertise to strengthen the Kingdom’s AI ecosystem and support its continued economic diversification.”
Under the programme, participating Saudi companies will gain access to HPE infrastructure platforms, hybrid cloud capabilities and engineering expertise, as well as Intel’s compute and AI technologies, architecture guidance, model optimisation and developer enablement. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will support collaboration across the Saudi technology ecosystem and help align the programme with the Kingdom’s digital transformation and AI priorities.
Founding software partners include ShaheenAI, MOZN and OmniOps, which will contribute locally developed AI platforms and technologies. Alnahil Computers will serve as the lead systems integration and deployment partner, supporting solution packaging, project delivery, customer onboarding and ongoing operational support. HPE is also expanding its ‘Saudi Made’ portfolio to include the HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 and HPE Alletra Storage MP X10000.
The storage platforms are designed to support mission-critical applications, growing data volumes and AI workloads, offering block, file and object storage alongside independently scalable performance and capacity. They also provide cloud-based management through HPE GreenLake. The expansion gives organisations in Saudi Arabia access to a broader range of locally produced infrastructure for data-intensive applications, AI and analytics.
HPE has also expanded its relationship with alfanar, formalising the company’s role as HPE’s manufacturing and assembly partner in Saudi Arabia. Under the expanded arrangement, alfanar will support production, testing and fulfilment across HPE’s broader Saudi Made portfolio. Its new factory services will allow customers to receive locally built HPE infrastructure that is pre-integrated, pre-configured and pre-tested.
Services will include component integration, system configuration, testing, certification, quality assurance, logistics coordination, local fulfilment and lifecycle service readiness. “The expansion of the ‘Saudi Made’ portfolio marks an important step in the development of Saudi Arabia’s advanced technology production capabilities,” said Abdullah Al Sulami, General Manager Power Solutions, alfanar. “Through our partnership with HPE, we are moving beyond local assembly to provide integrated, tested and application-ready systems that can help customers deploy technology more efficiently, while strengthening local expertise and supply chain resilience.”
HPE and Intel also plan to establish a Saudi Innovation Center at HPE’s new offices in Riyadh. The centre will provide a dedicated environment where customers, solution providers, startups and ecosystem partners can collaborate, test and validate technologies, and demonstrate locally developed solutions. It will connect Saudi-made infrastructure with locally developed software and platforms while providing technical training and developer enablement to support AI talent.
Solutions developed through the ‘Saudi Made, Developed, Deployed’ initiative will be among the projects supported by the centre. The broader objective is to help organisations validate business outcomes and move promising technologies from development towards deployment and commercialisation.
“Saudi Arabia’s ambition to build a globally competitive, innovation-led digital economy is creating important opportunities to develop AI solutions closer to the customers and industries they serve,” said Taha M. Khalifa, General Manager for Middle East and Africa, Intel Corporation. “Through our collaboration with HPE, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Saudi ecosystem partners, Intel will contribute AI and compute technologies, technical expertise and developer enablement to help turn locally developed ideas into validated, deployable solutions. The Saudi Innovation Center and the ‘Saudi Made, Developed, Deployed’ initiative can help connect local talent, software innovation and infrastructure to accelerate practical AI adoption in support of Vision 2030.”
