The Qatar Armed Forces have concluded their participation in the 9th edition of the Pakistan Army Team Spirit International Competition (PATS-2026), held in the Republic of Pakistan, reaffirming ongoing military cooperation and the exchange of expertise between participating nations. **media[419644]** The demanding competition featured continuous 60-hour military maneuvers covering a distance of 65 kilometers, testing advanced combat capabilities including reconnaissance, infiltration, marksmanship, rapid battle procedures, and casualty evacuation under diverse operational conditions. The event brought together military teams from 19 countries. **media[419643]** The closing ceremony was attended by Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with senior Pakistani military commanders and members of the Qatari Military Attaché delegation in Pakistan. Qatar’s Military Police Forces secured the gold medal, while the Joint Special Forces and Ahmed bin Mohammed Military College earned silver medals, reflecting the high level of professionalism and combat readiness of the Qatar Armed Forces. **media[419642]**

Qatar's race to build a world-class digital economy is turning up the heat — literally. As hyperscale data centres multiply across Doha to power AI, cloud, and high-performance computing ambitions, demand for advanced cooling solutions is surging in one of the world's hottest climates, with the market projected to nearly triple to $249mn by 2032.With digital infrastructure, particularly hyperscale, becoming central to development agenda, the sovereign initiatives and private investments drive the deployment of new data centre capacity, indicating robust digital growth potential and strong investor confidence in Qatar's long-term economic prospects.For Doha's national digital transformation plans — which include high-performance computing, cloud services, and future AI (artificial intelligence) infrastructure — data centres are crucial for facilitating communications, rapidly becoming the foundation of digital economy of Qatar, which has now adopted Green datacenters, using renewable energy, amidst environmental concerns.Highlighting that the UK has designated data centres as critical national infrastructure; a consultant working with the government said data centres have evolved from digital infrastructure to economic assets, acting as key significant economic catalysts for local communities and delivering substantial and measurable economic value."Economic gains outweigh infrastructure and environmental costs over the long term," he said in reference to concerns on sustainability due to high demand for power and water.According to Data Centre Map, Qatar has 11 data centres, while Bahrain has eight, Oman 16, Saudi Arabia 58 and the UAE 57.The Qatar data center market has seen "significant" growth in recent years due to rising demand for cloud computing, big data analytics, and IoT (Internet-of-Things), according to Research and Markets.In 2002, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), in partnership with Microsoft, launched of the country’s first hyperscale cloud datacenter.The Microsoft cloud datacenter region in Qatar will drive growth and scale for the more than 100 Microsoft partners in the country and global partners looking to establish themselves in the country.Existing players like Ooredoo, MEEZA, Quantum Switch, and other local players are expanding capacity in Qatar, which already has over a dozen operational colocation facilities, with additional projects in the pipeline.According to Arizton research, Qatar data center colocation market size was valued at $76mn in 2024 and is expected to reach $196mn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 17.1% during the forecast period."As digitalisation and AI demand accelerate, these facilities drive innovation-led growth, making them strategically significant to local economy and national competitiveness," the consultant said.The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has already partnered with Blue Owl to launch a digital infrastructure platform with more than $3bn of data center assets."As businesses increasingly move to the cloud, the demand for cloud services is expected to grow significantly. Qatar’s data centres are well-positioned to meet this demand, offering a range of cloud solutions that cater to various business needs," according to Meeza, which has five data centers in Qatar.The expansion of cloud services will enable companies to scale their operations, enhance flexibility, and reduce costs.Early this year, Ooredoo’s data center subsidiary, Syntys, had acquired two facilities in Qatar, Q Data QFZ, a Qatari data center firm with 5MW live and 7.5MW under development.Syntys (formerly Mena Digital Hub) was formed last year after Ooredoo carved out its data centers across Middle East and North Africa. At the time of the carve-out, Ooredoo Group had 26 data centers in operation across Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, and Tunisia.Data centres and cooling systems share a symbiotic, interdependent relationship, particularly as high-density computing (AI) demands more efficient thermal management because GPUs consume large amounts of power.According to estimates, a server consuming 1kW of electricity releases roughly 1 kW of heat.Cooling systems are core infrastructure, not optional additions. In many data centres, cooling accounts for 30–50% of total energy consumption.According to Credence Research, the Qatar datacenter cooling market is expected to grow from $81.04mn in 2023 to $248.97mn by 2032, at a CAGR of 15.06%.Telecom and IT, as well as retail and BFSI, are the leading sectors, with the rapid adoption of digital services and cloud-based infrastructure driving the need for robust cooling solutions.Key players like Schneider Electric, Stulz and Vertiv Group are actively contributing to the development of energy efficient and sustainable cooling solutions, offering advanced technologies, including liquid cooling, Al-driven optimisation, and air-cooled systems.Other prominent players, as Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Daikin Industries, and Johnson Controls, also play significant roles in providing reliable cooling solutions for high-density data centers.Doha commands 50% market share in Qatar's data centre cooling system, even as Al Rayyan and Al Wakra are fast emerging as key regions.

Qatar General Electricity and Water Corp (Kahramaa) said that it has accomplished a series of combined strategic and operational milestones throughout 2025.It stressed that these achievements demonstrate an advanced level of corporate readiness and integration among its various sectors, contributing significantly to boosting electricity and water security, upscaling national infrastructure efficiency, deepening corporate governance, accelerating digital transformation, and supporting the sustainability objectives at the national level.**media[419945]**In a statement, Kahramaa underlined that these achievements came as an extension of a phased path centred on innovation, competency, and reliability, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy, ushering in a new era within the corporation's long-term strategy 2026-2030, which focuses on building a smarter, more flexible, and sustainable electricity and water system.The 2025 milestones mark a strategic point in Kahramaa's career, as it has succeeded in strengthening network reliability and expanding the scope of digital services, as well as achieving concrete operational accomplishments and deepening quality and governance standards, said Kahramaa President Abdulla bin Ali al-Theyab.Al-Theyab highlighted that all these outcomes underscore the commitment to supporting the national development pathway and investing in sustainable and secure infrastructure that caters to the State of Qatar's aspirations for future generations and aligns with KAHRAMAA's strategy 2026-2030 objectives.The statement provided an overview of the incredible achievements made during 2025 in the electricity grids sector, which had strengthened the national network's reliability and operational efficiency, as the Corp had maintained load substations within approved limits for the third consecutive year, ensuring that 11 kV feeders remained below 80% of their capacity during peak periods.The utility executed 33 network reinforcement plans, responded to the requirements of control centres to handle elevated summer loads, and completed over 534 technical notices and 51 permits for major buildings. It also updated thousands of network plans through the GIS system, reinforcing operational resilience and safeguarding infrastructure performance, the statement continued.The statement added that malfunction prediction systems and smart surveillance helped achieve financial efficiencies and to enhance swift responses, assuring stable electricity supply by 100% for major tournaments and events hosted by the nation, due to the full readiness of grids, advanced surveillance systems, and contingency teams operating around the clock.In the water sector, Kahramaa maintained a high strategic reserve, averaging 93%, and completed the operation of 23.7km of new water lines. It also issued 226 well licenses and carried out oversight tours and laboratory testing to ensure water quality. The Corp implemented flexible operational plans based on diversifying supply sources and monitoring pressure and flow, which ensured continuity of service during major events and surging demand, the statement underlined.At the infrastructure and projects level, the Technical Affairs Sector completed 12 major projects and awarded 12 additional tenders, while seven strategic contracts were finalised through central procurement.The statement noted that the Materials Management Department awarded 59 tenders valued at QR123.55mn, covering material supply, operations, and maintenance services, while improving supply chain efficiency and addressing non‑conforming materials.Regarding HR development, Kahramaa carried out a series of initiatives that included setting functional paths for the water sector, organising broader training and awareness events, and implementing programmes supporting Qatari young talents and enhancing their readiness to join technical and administrative roles within the Corp, the statement suggested.In the technological field, Kahramaa enhanced digital infrastructure, information system management, and information security through modern technological solutions and renovation of operating systems and permissions management, supporting institutional transformation toward more efficient and secure operations.Regarding Customer Services, Kahramaa expanded the deployment of smart meters, introducing almost 298,000 residential water meters within the AMI system.In terms of Financial Management, the Corp continued to consolidate financial discipline through the issuance of periodic budget variance reports and loading the 2026 budget into the ERP system, while maintaining its Aa3 credit rating from Moody’s, reflecting a strong financial position and commitment to corporate governance.Pertaining to Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE), Kahramaa opened an employee health clinic, conducted awareness campaigns, and held leadership workshops. It also launched the Leadership Safety Rounds initiative, strengthening a culture of prevention across work sites.The Legal Affairs Department developed a case management system and updated regulatory frameworks and contracts under a unified legal structure, ensuring enhanced operational governance and compliance.In the district cooling sector, the operational capacity increased to 1.2mn refrigeration tons across 72 stations, with 36 stations adopting treated water instead of potable water, saving 17.1 mn cubic meters of water over the year, a move that enhances resource efficiency and sustainability.The new and renewable energy sector witnessed expansion with new solar plants entering service, raising the installed capacity to around 1.675 GW. Solar energy now contributes 13-15% of peak demand, while the Khuraisah plant continues reducing emissions by about 26 mn tons since the project launch, reinforcing the clean energy mix.Meanwhile, the Planning and Quality Management Department completed Phase 3 workshops of the institutional strategy and fully implemented the quality control plan through thousands of technical inspections, assessments, and tender reviews, thereby enhancing execution efficiency and ramping up compliance standards.