Web Summit Qatar has become a powerful catalyst for the country’s innovation-driven economy, reinforcing its position as a global platform for technology, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation, His Excellency Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor al-Thani, director of the Government Communications Office (GCO), said at a news conference at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre Sunday.
Speaking about the momentum shift, Sheikh Jassim said revenue from previous editions of the Web Summit exceeded QR800mn, including more than QR330mn in spending by individuals who travelled to Qatar to attend the summit. “More than 66,000 hotel nights were booked, with visitors staying an average of six days.
We expect these figures to go up in 2026 and we will continue building on this momentum,” said Sheikh Jassim. “Some of the goals we have set for 2026 event include expanding this conference and making it more comprehensive and more international.
We will host the participation of more than 1,600 startups at the Web Summit Qatar, which will be the largest gathering of startups in a single venue in the region,” he underlined. Sheikh Jassim also highlighted that, before hosting conferences in Doha, an extensive study is conducted to determine how such events can add real value to the country and the private sector. “The report we published last week confirms that this conference is a positive contributor to the economy.
Indicators such as hotel occupancy and visitor spending clearly show the significant benefits for the private sector and the strong activation of tourism facilities. “Since the first edition, we have seen nearly a 90% increase in startups, with an even greater rise in local startups this year. Qatari startups are now competing strongly with international companies, and this conference provides substantial value to the local economy through direct engagement with major global firms.
We remain committed to providing even greater support to Qatari startups,” he said. The GCO director said the summit will feature more than 600 speakers, investors, media figures and key decision-makers from around the world.
According to Sheikh Jassim, the most prominent Qatari speakers at the event include Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation; His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Her Excellency Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and several Qatari ministers.
“We want to see how this conference generates an economic return for the country, local companies, and all participating companies,” Sheikh Jassim added. Addressing the press conference, Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave said the scale of the Doha event has exceeded initial expectations. “This year’s edition is the biggest event we have done so far in Qatar.
We had initially committed to Doha that in the first year we would bring 5,000 people together and by the fifth year the event would reach 12,000. That was the aspiration at the initial stage,” Cosgrave noted. “This year, we will have more than 30,000 attendees from all over the world and there will be a more diverse representation with many countries for the first time here.
There are attendees and startups representing countries such as Palestine, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Pakistan and The Netherlands among others,” he continued. “It is a true global group. We have more startups than ever before. Nearly 85% of the 1,600 startups at the event are from outside Qatar,” he highlighted. According to the Web Summit CEO, this edition of Web Summit Qatar will feature more investors than any previous edition, with an expanded programme of meetups and networking sessions throughout the four-day event.
