Manai Information Technology brings artificial intelligence to connected stadiums and smart cities at LEAP 2026
Attention is turning at the Riyadh Exhibition and Conference Center in Mulhim toward the intersection of artificial intelligence with field infrastructure, with the announcement by Manai Information Technology in Saudi Arabia, part of the Manai Group, of its participation in the LEAP 2026 conference. This participation follows the opening of the company’s regional headquarters in Riyadh, aimed at deepening local implementation capabilities and strengthening its direct partnerships with institutions in both the public and private sectors within the Kingdom, focusing on showcasing the role of artificial intelligence, connected stadiums, smart cities, cybersecurity, cloud transformation, and digital infrastructure in transforming sports sectors and facility management.
This presence coincides with the rapid growth of the sports industry in the Kingdom within Vision 2030 targets, starting from the expansion of the Saudi Professional League to the national preparations for hosting the 2034 World Cup. In addition, national initiatives such as the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) strategy and the national strategy for games and e-sports are contributing to creating a direct and increasing demand for advanced technological solutions that manage connected stadiums and smart facilities and support the surrounding digital economy.
The real transformation lies in linking artificial intelligence with infrastructure to achieve real, tangible operational results.Lakshmi Narayanan, general manager of Manai Information Technology in Saudi Arabia, explains that the sports, city and institutional sectors are today integrating with the Kingdom’s progress toward a new phase of economic growth and diversification, noting that artificial intelligence, networking and cloud computing constitute the backbone of this phase, with an emphasis on practical outputs and strategic partnerships that enable institutions to achieve their operational goals and support long-term digital transformation.
In its booth in Hall 4 dedicated to sports technologies, at stand H20, the company showcases a series of interactive demonstrations designed to highlight practical returns rather than focusing on isolated software. These applications include improving operational efficiency, enhancing physical and digital security levels, and developing the audience and visitor experience, relying on local expertise and a broad network of global technology partners, alongside providing an integrated suite of managed services, professional consulting, data centers and enterprise networks for connected buildings and cities.
This development carries clear strategic implications for technology directors and engineering teams across the Gulf and the region, as it demonstrates that investment in artificial intelligence is no longer an isolated office experiment but has become a core element in equipping the infrastructure of large projects and mass events. This trajectory requires technology leaders in real estate, sports and logistics sectors to reassess their teams’ competencies, focusing on skills to integrate edge sensor systems and real-time networks with intelligent analytics models, to ensure facilities are ready for operational competition and compliance with global standards in crowd management and sensitive data handling.