Back to Blog
LEAP
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh
ReplyFabric
SaaS
AI
WhatsApp
Data Sovereignty
What LEAP Riyadh Taught Me About Building for Saudi Arabia
September 3, 2026
Tom
8 min read
Four days at LEAP in Riyadh showed me a market with enormous ambition, serious data sovereignty requirements, and one unexpected question for ReplyFabric: what about WhatsApp?
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Author
Tom Vanderbauwhede is the founder & CEO of ReplyFabric, lecturer in AI at KdG University, and a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of business experience. He holds master's degrees in Applied Economics, Business Administration (MBA), and Strategic Change Management & Leadership. Tom is passionate about building AI tools that reduce email overload and help teams focus on what matters.
Connect with Tom on LinkedIn and follow his journey as a founder.