LEAP 2026: The networks behind the Gulf’s digital future

As the technology industry gathers in Riyadh for LEAP 2026, artificial intelligence will inevitably dominate much of the conversation.

And rightly so. Across the Gulf, governments and businesses are investing heavily in AI, cloud computing, smart cities and digital services. The scale of ambition is extraordinary and the pace of change is accelerating.

LEAP provides a showcase for many of the technologies that will shape that future.

But behind the applications, platforms and digital experiences being discussed in Riyadh lies something more fundamental: the infrastructure required to connect them.

Every AI application, cloud service, smart building and digital customer experience ultimately depends on connectivity.

Data needs to move quickly and reliably between users, devices, applications, data centres and increasingly the edge of the network.

That makes the network itself a critical part of the Gulf’s digital transformation.

The GCC has invested significantly in fibre, mobile networks, data centres and international connectivity.

But the user experience often depends on something much closer to home: the final few metres between the network and the device.

For most users and devices, that final connection is wireless, making Wi-Fi a critical part of the overall network.

A business may have a very high-speed fibre connection entering its building, but if its internal wireless network is poorly designed, congested or based on ageing technology, users will never experience the full benefit.

This is becoming more important as organisations connect more devices and move more applications to the cloud.

AI-enabled applications, cloud platforms, digital signage, IoT, smart building systems and an expanding range of connected devices are placing new demands on network capacity, responsiveness and reliability.

Enterprise Wi-Fi can therefore no longer be regarded simply as an office utility.

It is becoming part of an organisation’s core digital infrastructure.

Wi-Fi 7 represents another significant step forward for enterprise wireless networking.

Greater capacity, lower latency and the ability to support growing numbers of connected devices are becoming essential as businesses adopt more cloud, video, IoT and AI-enabled applications.

But the technology itself is only part of the equation.

Networks also need to be easier to deploy, monitor and manage.

Businesses want visibility over performance and the ability to expand their networks without creating unnecessary operational complexity.

For smaller and medium-sized businesses in particular, this presents an interesting opportunity.

Advanced networking capabilities that were once largely the preserve of major enterprises are becoming much more accessible.

High-speed fibre combined with modern managed Wi-Fi can give an SME a network environment considerably more sophisticated than was economically practical only a few years ago.

For many businesses, Wi-Fi 6 will continue to provide more than sufficient performance today, while Wi-Fi 7 provides a clear path for more demanding environments and future requirements.

This evolution is also creating opportunities for regional technology companies to think differently about how solutions are taken to market.

At Northstar Telecom Solutions, our work with IO by HFCL has given us a close view of the development of Wi-Fi 7, enterprise switching and cloud-managed networking for the GCC market.

What is particularly interesting is not simply the improvement in individual technologies, but how connectivity is increasingly being combined with other solutions.

A retailer may need connectivity, digital displays and cloud applications.

A hotel may combine wireless connectivity with IoT and guest services.

An SME may simply want fast internet and a professionally managed wireless network without having to become a networking expert.

The market is gradually moving away from buying individual technology products towards buying complete digital outcomes.

That shift should also encourage greater collaboration between technology providers.

Connectivity providers, application specialists, systems integrators and technology vendors increasingly have an opportunity to approach customers together rather than as separate parts of the technology supply chain.

Events such as LEAP are valuable because they allow the region to look ahead.

There will be plenty of discussion in Riyadh about what AI and other emerging technologies may make possible over the next five or ten years.

But delivering those ambitions will require continued investment in the less visible foundations of the digital economy: fibre, data centres, international capacity, cybersecurity and high-performance local networks.

The Gulf has demonstrated that it is prepared to invest boldly in technology.

The next challenge is ensuring that the infrastructure connecting businesses, buildings, people and devices develops just as quickly as the applications running across it.

Because however intelligent the technology becomes, every digital experience still starts with a connection.

(The author is director of operations at Northstar Telecom Solutions)