Qatar Investment & Innovation Conference unveils full programme featuring HEC Paris session and AI for Good Qatar challenge

The Business Year, in collaboration with Msheireb Properties, has announced the complete programme for the ‘Qatar Investment and Innovation Conference: Driving GCC Entrepreneurial Growth’, scheduled for November 3, 2025, at Barahat Msheireb, Doha.Held in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the conference will bring together policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators from across the Gulf, beginning with a pre-event session at HEC Paris, Doha.The event will commence at 2pm with an ‘Insight Session’ organised by HEC Paris, Doha, titled ‘The Architecture of AI: Energy, Capex, and Capability’. Facilitated by Dr Pablo Martin de Holan, dean of HEC Paris, Doha, the two-hour interactive discussion will examine AI as an emerging industry and explore the potential and challenges it poses for founders, investors, organisations, and national economies.The session will also include a panel of technology and innovation experts, featuring Dr Fadi Nasser, Chief Commercial officer, MEEZA; Nouf Almarri, Chief Information officer, Civil Services and Government Development Bureau; Engineer Sarah al-Mawlawi, director, Corporate Information Security, Ooredoo Qatar; and Aysha al-Mudahka, senior director of RDI Programmes - Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI).From 4.30pm, the main conference will feature two panel discussions on the GCC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a keynote speech from Nejoud al-Jehani, executive director of Strategy and Programmes, QRDI, and introductory remarks by Faysal Shair, partner at Dar Ventures and Omar Sultan, managing partner at Sultan Ventures, and CEO of Acasia.The first panel, ‘Fostering Entrepreneurship and Driving Economic Growth in the GCC’, will focus on how public policy, institutional leadership, and cross-border collaboration can create stronger conditions for entrepreneurship in the GCC.Moderated by Vanessa Rameix, regional director at The Business Year, the panel will include Hussain al-Mahmoudi, CEO, Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP); Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, CEO, Qatar Financial Centre (QFC); Rama Chakaki, president, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP); and Fahad al-Sharekh, founder & managing partner, TechInvest.The second panel, ‘Financing the Future: GCC Investment Strategies & Policy Insights’, will examine how venture capital, private equity, and government-backed funding are evolving to support the next generation of entrepreneurs.Moderated by Sophia Swire, founder of GEDI, the panel will feature Mohammed Alzubi, founder & managing partner, Nama Ventures; Abdulrahman al-Jiffry, partner, 500 Global; Steve Khayat, CEO, Phoenix Venture Partners; and Dr Mohammed al-Housani, director of Research and Advocacy, QRDI.The ‘AI for Good Qatar Challenge’, organised in partnership with AI for Good YAILs Qatar, will bring together the most promising GCC-based pre-seed and seed-stage startups leveraging artificial intelligence to address global challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.Ten pre-qualified startups will pitch live on the main stage in two rounds, each delivering three-minute presentations to the following panel of expert judges: Tarik Sultan, Builders VC; Bilel al-Souaied, AI for Good Doha Chapter; Andrea Azzolari, Plug and Play; Omair Sultan al-Naimi, MCIT; Faysal Shair, Dar Ventures; Faris al-Obaid, Tamara; and Majed Lababidi, Alchemist Doha.The winning startup will attend the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 in Geneva and receive fast-track access to select accelerator programmes both locally and internationally.Dr Hafiz Ali Abdulla, senior director of Corporate Communication at Msheireb Properties, said: "This comprehensive conference aligns perfectly with our vision of creating dynamic urban spaces that inspire progress and cooperation.”Rameix said, "The AI for Good Qatar Challenge represents a critical step in connecting Qatar's entrepreneurial ecosystem with global innovation networks. This competition will not only showcase the region's most promising AI-driven solutions but also provide startups with access to the mentorship, capital, and partnerships they need to scale their impact across the GCC and beyond.”Ends