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Qatar’s golf stars, Daniel Sokolov and Saleh Al Kaabi, delivered remarkable performances at the Bahrain Open Golf Championship, which concluded on Saturday. The young talents continued their impressive form, with Daniel clinching second place and Al Kaabi securing third, marking yet another milestone achievement for Qatari golf.Despite being only 14 years old, Daniel displayed maturity beyond his years, showcasing confidence, precision, and composure throughout the tournament. He opened with an exceptional 65, followed by rounds of 70 and 76, finishing with a total of 211 strokes, five under par — an extraordinary result that earned him a well-deserved runner-up position.Meanwhile, Saleh Al Kaabi maintained a strong and consistent performance across his three rounds, carding 68, 72, and 72 for a total of 212 strokes, four under par, to claim third place overall. The championship title went to Malaysia’s Zubair Firdaus, who finished his rounds with a total of 209 strokes, edging Daniel by just two strokes after a tightly contested final day.This achievement reflects the Qatar Golf Association’s continuous efforts to develop and nurture local talent through advanced technical and training programs designed to prepare the next generation of golfers capable of competing at the highest regional and international levels. It also highlights the significant progress golf in Qatar has witnessed in recent years.Commenting on the team’s success, Fahad Nasser Al Naimi, Secretary General of the Qatar Golf Association and Head of the Qatari delegation, emphasized that the Bahrain Open is one of the region’s premier events, recognized by both the World and Arab Golf Rankings. He noted that these outstanding results are because of the QGA’s strategic plan to elevate players’ technical and mental capabilities through systematic development programs.Al Naimi added that Qatari golfers continue to lead the Arab rankings, thanks to structured planning, consistent effort, and unwavering institutional support. He reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to providing a comprehensive training environment that empowers young talents to represent Qatar in the best possible way on both regional and global stages.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka battled hard Wednesday to keep her unbeaten record in Wuhan intact, having to come from behind to beat Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.The world number one started slowly in her first match since she clinched a fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open last month.But the Belarusian found her power game in the final set to reach the Wuhan Open last 16, where she will face the 16th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova.Sabalenka is chasing a fourth consecutive crown in Wuhan where she has a perfect 18-0 win-loss record.Sramkova quickly took a 3-1 lead and served out to take the opening set in 35 minutes.Sabalenka shook off the rust in the second and then swept through the decider to win in just under two hours."She played incredible tennis, especially in the first set. There wasn't much I could do against her," said Sabalenka."I knew after that little break (after New York), it will be not that easy to get back in my rhythm."But I'm really glad that in the second set I found my game, I stepped in, and I think I played really great."The other four-time major champion in action on Wednesday, Naomi Osaka, slumped to a 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 defeat to last week's Beijing runner-up Linda Noskova."I tried to keep the rallies going as much as I could and staying in the aggressive mode as good as I could," said the Czech, who is at a career-high 17 in the world rankings.Japan's Osaka, the 11th seed, dropped just three points behind her first serve but could not convert any of her four break point opportunities during the 90-minute showdown.Gauff cruiseThird seed Coco Gauff, a semi-finalist in Wuhan last year, booked her place in the last 16 with a smooth 6-1, 6-0 performance against Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima.Gauff was flawless throughout a 51-minute victory that was her 18th on Chinese soil since 2023, the most at WTA level by any player in China during that period.Gauff will square off with Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai for a place in the quarter-finals.In contrast, world number six Jessica Pegula survived a "wild ride", needing seven match points and almost three hours to overcome fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6).Pegula served for the match twice, at 5-2 and 5-4 in the third set, but Baptiste dug deep to save five match points and took four games in a row for a 6-5 advantage.Pegula steadied the ship to force a tiebreak and she finally wrapped up the victory on her seventh match point."It's been brutal," said Pegula, who will face Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round."Match points, then she started playing well, I think I just got a little tentative," admitted Pegula."And that's all it takes sometimes for someone to come back."I'm really proud of myself for how I held it together because I think I easily could have just collapsed. But I held tough, so yeah, that was a wild ride."Heat again played a factor as 12th-seeded Karolina Muchova joined the likes of Emma Raducanu, Jelena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska on the list of mid-match retirees in Wuhan.With temperatures soaring above 30C, Muchova struggled with the heat and had her vitals checked on court before she retired while trailing Magdalena Frech 7-6 (7/1), 4-1.

World number two Jannik Sinner launched his Shanghai Masters title defence Saturday by breezing past Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3 while Alexander Zverev advanced despite toe trouble.Sinner, fresh from winning the China Open, broke early in both sets to take control and ease himself comfortably into the third round.The 49th-ranked Altmaier’s best chance came in the eighth game of the first set, but he failed to convert a breakpoint twice, allowing the Italian to hold with an ace.The second set provided even less opportunity to seriously bother the 24-year-old Wimbledon champion, but afterwards Sinner said it had been more difficult than it looked.“First match is never easy, especially when you don’t have a lot of time to adjust,” he said.“(Altmaier) is a very tough player, very talented... I just tried to stay mentally in a good point,” he added.“When I broke him twice very early in the set it gave me the confidence to serve the match out, so I’m very happy.”Sinner’s path to retaining the title has been made easier by the withdrawal of great rival Carlos Alcaraz, who dropped out last minute to rest.The Italian’s next match is Sunday against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.Four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic will take to the court again Sunday as well, facing Germany’s 150th-ranked Yannick Hanfmann.The tournament lost another top-10 player as Karen Khachanov was defeated by China’s Shang Juncheng 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.Shang, ranked 237th after slipping down the rankings due to injury, was egged on by an increasingly raucous crowd as ninth seed Khachanov flagged.Shang broke in the eighth game of the second set with a backhand.“I think I played well on the whole but I think everyone (in the crowd) must have put a lot of pressure on him,” the 20-year-old Shang laughed.World number three Zverev overcame an injury to his big toe to book his place in the third round, beating France’s Valentin Royer 6-4, 6-4.The German had a blistering start, breaking Royer in the first game and then sending down three aces to easily hold the second.The Frenchman found his feet but a crucial stumble saw him miss a break point in the eighth game, and Zverev took the set.Both players missed chances to break in the second, wowing the crowd with multiple tense rallies.Zverev finally broke in the ninth game then held the last game to win, despite having to take a medical break after limping off court.“It’s not a nice feeling to finish a match like that,” Zverev said afterwards, wincing.He said he sustained the injury during the follow-through of his serve, and would have it assessed Sunday.“I really don’t know what happened, so we’re going to check it out,” he said.World number seven Alex de Minaur comfortably dispatched Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-4, 6-2.Russian Andrey Rublev, ranked 14th, was upset by qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.But compatriot Daniil Medvedev dominated qualifier Dalibor Svrcina to advance 6-1, 6-1.

Carlos Alcaraz said he had to go on the offensive to protect his injured ankle after beating Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday to reach the Japan Open semi-finals.The world number one hurt himself during his opening match in Tokyo and he admitted after his next outing that the injury had worried him and was on his mind on the court.The Spaniard again played with strapping showing above his left sock but it did not appear to trouble him as he brushed aside American world number 33 Nakashima with a brutal display of power tennis.Alcaraz will face Norway's world number 12 Casper Ruud in Monday's semi-finals and he said he was "still thinking about the ankle"."I had to play more aggressive than normal because I just want to let him run much more than I do in the match," said Alcaraz."You can see that there are some times that I can't go as fast as I want, I'm just taking care about the steps I'm doing in the match."That's why sometimes I was playing really big shots, because I didn't want to run from side to side," he added.Alcaraz had his service broken three times in his previous night's win over Belgium's Zizou Bergs.He gave Nakashima no such help and did not face any break points as he stayed on the front foot all match.Alcaraz is playing in Japan for the first time and he treated the crowd to some outrageous shots that grew gasps from the packed stands."First of all, I'm a huge fan of tennis, and seeing these kinds of shots, if it comes from me or not, I just enjoy," said Alcaraz."Tonight there were a few of them that I was like 'that was a really good one'."Alcaraz said the love he is receiving from the Tokyo crowd is mutual."Really grateful and really happy with the atmosphere that they're creating," he said."I just try to play in a style that I like them to be entertained watching the match."Alcaraz's semi-final opponent Ruud beat Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 6-2.World number five Taylor Fritz will play fellow American Jenson Brooksby in the other semi-final.Fritz, the number two seed, came through a tough quarter-final against another American, Sebastian Korda, winning 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.Brooksby beat the number three seed, Denmark's Holger Rune, 6-3, 6-3.Fritz, who beat Alcaraz this month at the Laver Cup, said he had struggled with the weather in Tokyo, with temperatures around 27C for his late morning match."I wasn't expecting it to be that hot and humid," he said."Tough to play in that heat and play a lot of physical, long points."

QNB Group, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, organised the Open Recruitment Day which witnessed a large turnout of Qatari national graduates and talents seeking careers in the banking sector, supporting job nationalization plan within Qatar National Vision 2030 for sustainable economic growth. This initiative is part of QNB's ongoing programs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, to implement this plan in line with the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030 aimed at empowering citizens to increasingly participate in the labour market, providing them with unique job opportunities in the financial sector, QNB Group said in a press release. Senior Executive Vice President - Group Human Capital in QNB Group Abdullah Nasser Al Khalifa said: "The significant participation in the event clearly reflets Qatari youth's confidence in QNB as an employer of choice, on the one hand, and our commitment to engage more local talent across various roles, on the other hand. This initiative aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 which places great emphasis on investing in our youth to support Qatar's sustainable development." "Our strong partnership with the Ministry of Labor demonstrates the success of the bank's nationalization strategy, strengthening the role of local talent in the sector and developing the next generation of leaders, while ensuring diversity and equal opportunity," he added. The event served as an active platform for participants to explore an array of career paths offered the bank and to apply for current openings. They also learned about current training opportunities, scholarships, and leadership development programs to support their career progression and prepare them for future leadership roles within the bank. This initiative underscores QNB's efforts in workforce nationalization which represents a major priority. The bank actively supports job localization, having more than 60% of its total workforce. The proportion of Qatari nationals holding leadership and senior positions increased to 76%, while women represent about 64% from the total Qatari workforce in the bank. At the branch level, the bank has achieved a 100% Qatarization rate for branch managers.

Carlos Alcaraz ended the reign of Jannik Sinner with a 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 win to claim the US Open title on Sunday and tighten his grip on the era-defining rivalry between the torch-bearers of the men's game.In a perfect echo of the triumph that first propelled him to the number one spot in 2022, Alcaraz's second New York title lifted him back to the top of the world rankings as the 22-year-old Spaniard displaced Sinner and took his Grand Slam trophy haul to six.As grey clouds hovered over the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz continued to deliver the sunshine tennis that has lit up Flushing Meadows over the last fortnight, consolidating an early break by faking a drop to hit a winner that wrong-footed Sinner.He beamed after pulling off an outrageous half-volley at the net and wrapped up the opening set shortly afterwards, finishing it off with a big serve that Sinner crashed into the net as the Italian's metronomic precision briefly deserted him.With US President Donald Trump watching from a luxury box in the stands and adding another layer of spectacle to the third straight Grand Slam final between the duo this year, Sinner hit back to take the next set after saving an early break point.After missing a few steps to drop his first set of the championship, Alcaraz blasted his way to a 5-0 advantage in the third set before Sinner got on the board, and the Spaniard closed it out with a monster serve.Sinner conjured up two breathtaking volleys in the opening game of the fourth set to roaring applause and held serve after being pushed to the limit again, but he cracked under pressure and handed the crucial break to Alcaraz in the fifth game.Resembling a flamingo in full flight in his bright pink vest, Alcaraz soared ahead to secure the victory on his third match point and celebrated by raising his fists before a warm embrace with his rival and wild celebrations with his team.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the world's undisputed top two players, will square off in a third straight Grand Slam final today at the US Open. Top seed Sinner is the reigning champion and aiming to become the first man to successfully defend the US Open crown since Roger Federer won the last of five consecutive titles in 2008. Alcaraz, who won the first of his five Grand Slam titles in New York as a teenager three years ago, is the first man in a decade to reach the US Open final without dropping a set. It sets up a thrilling climax to a tournament preparing to host Donald Trump, the first sitting president to attend the US Open since Bill Clinton, who watched the women's final in 2000. It is the latest in a series of visits to major sporting events for the US leader after his trip to the NFL's Super Bowl in February and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July. It will mark New York-born billionaire Trump's first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2015 – when the then-presidential candidate and wife Melania were booed on arrival by the crowd. On the court, Alcaraz has largely had the edge over his rival of late although Sinner is enjoying one of the all-time great seasons at Grand Slams. Only a miraculous escape act from Alcaraz, in which he saved three championship points, denied Sinner at the French Open and cost him a shot at a rare calendar Slam. Sinner brushed off that crushing loss by beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, adding to the Australian Open crown he retained in January. The pair will collide once more inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the scene of a 5hr 15min quarter-final classic in 2022 that has come to shape the rivalry between two generational talents. "I feel like our rivalry started here playing an amazing match. We are two different players now, with different confidence too," said the 24-year-old Sinner, chasing a fifth major overall. "It's great for the sport having rivalries, having hopefully great matches in front of us. He's someone who pushed me to the limit." The 22-year-old Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic's latest quest for a record 25th major in the semi-finals and has encountered few difficulties so far this fortnight. He is through to his seventh Grand Slam final but is gearing up for another punishing battle with Sinner, who is riding a 27-match winning run on hard courts at the majors. Alcaraz is 9-5 overall against Sinner and has won six of the past seven duels. "Obviously I'm going to take things about the last matches that I've played against him," said Alcaraz. "I'm going to take note, and I will see what I did wrong, what I did great. His matches are really demanding physically that he's able to play at his 100% during two, three, four hours, and I think that's the biggest improvement he has made in the last years." The Spaniard is in a rich vein of form of his own, winning 36 of his last 37 matches. The only loss in that time came to Sinner at Wimbledon. "I am performing at a high level and sending a message to the people on the circuit that this is my level," said Alcaraz. "It is not my maximum level, I still have room to improve, but it is a high level." As it was when Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud here in the 2022 final, the number one ranking will again be on the line today. Alcaraz eclipsed Lleyton Hewitt's record as the youngest world number one at the age of 19, but it is two years since he last held the top ranking. "It's a good goal, but we've tried not to focus too much on it in this tournament," said Alcaraz. "It will remind me of the 2022 final, when I was playing for a Slam and the number one spot. It will be like a flashback. But winning a Grand Slam comes before being number one."

Novak Djokovic vowed to "continue fighting" for Grand Slam titles after his US Open semi-final exit to Carlos Alcaraz on Friday. Djokovic, whose dream of a record 25th Grand Slam title ended in a straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, pledged to keep playing next year."I'm not giving up on Grand Slams, I'm going to continue fighting," the 38-year-old Serbian legend said after his 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 defeat. "I still want to play a full Grand Slam season next year. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport."Djokovic had warned before Friday's semi-final he would need to be in peak physical condition to stand a chance of toppling the 22-year-old Alcaraz. The Spaniard has dominated men's tennis alongside Italian world number one Jannik Sinner in recent seasons, with the duo splitting the last seven Grand Slam tournaments between them.However Djokovic said he had faded after running Alcaraz close in the opening two sets in Friday's semi-final. "I ran out of gas after the second set," he said. "I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going," he added, stating that competing with his much younger rivals in future was only going to get more challenging."I'm happy with my level of tennis, but you know, it's just the physicality of it," Djokovic said. "As I said after the quarter-finals, I'm going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it's needed, but it wasn't enough. That's something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can't control. I can do only as much as I can do. It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it's tough."Djokovic though said he had no problem coming off second best to the duo who have collectively become known as "Sincaraz". "It's never fun losing a tennis match, but at the same time, if I'm to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys," Djokovic said. "I know that they are just better at the moment. You just have to hand it to them and say, 'Well done.'"His next stop on the ATP Tour will be in Athens and Djokovic said it was too soon to say whether he would play at Melbourne Park next year. "At least at this stage of my career, I mean, I'm not thinking that far," he told reporters. "I still want to play Grand Slams, Grand Slam season, full Grand Slam season next year. Let's see whether that's going to happen or not."

Amanda Anisimova will bid to crown her improbable redemption mission at the US Open today as world number one Aryna Sabalenka seeks to grab her final chance of the year to win a Grand Slam.Two months after suffering a catastrophic 6-0, 6-0 thrashing in the Wimbledon final, Anisimova has bounced back to stand on the brink of completing a fairytale comeback in New York. The 24-year-old eighth seed held her nerve to battle past Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals, winning 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in an instant classic that finished in the early hours Friday morning.For Anisimova, the win represented a personal triumph after the trauma of her drubbing by Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in July. The American, who took an eight-month break from tennis in 2023 citing burnout and depression, says her success in New York is attributable to the steps she has taken to prioritise her mental health."Obviously, it served me well, and I'm really happy with the choice that I made," Anisimova said of her decision to step away from the sport. "It's clearly paying off now, and I feel like I have a whole new perspective when I step onto the court. Even on regular days or training days, I think I appreciate the process a lot more than I used to."That resilience was on full display in Thursday night's thriller with Osaka, when she banished any negative thoughts to claw her way into the final. "I could have easily said, 'Oh, she's playing better than me, and I can't really do anything,'" Anisimova said afterwards. "I really tried to find a way, any way I could to stay in the match, even though it was extremely tough."Anisimova will also head into today's final armed with the mental muscle memory of having beaten reigning US Open champion Sabalenka in six of their nine previous meetings. That winning record includes a defeat of Sabalenka in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where she prevailed in another tense three-setter."We've had very, very tough matches," Anisimova said of Sabalenka. "But I think the standout one was probably Wimbledon. It was really a seesaw match, which is almost always the case when I play her."Sabalenka, who advanced to final with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat of American fourth seed Jessica Pegula, is bracing for another dogfight, admitting she still dwells on her Wimbledon defeat by Anisimova. "I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots," she said. "I felt like in that match at Wimby, I was doubting a lot my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors. I gave her a lot of opportunities, and of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities. I didn't use them."The 27-year-old from Belarus is also determined to avoid finishing her Grand Slam season empty-handed. The powerful right-hander was beaten in both the Australian and French Open finals this year before her Wimbledon exit, and is in no mood to let another chance to claim a fourth career Grand Slam singles title pass her by.That sense of steely determination was on display at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday as she fought back from a set down to squeeze past Pegula. "I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final, and I want to prove to myself that I learned those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals," said Sabalenka, referencing this season's losses in Melbourne and Paris.Sabalenka is also aiming to achieve something that has become increasingly rare over the years in successfully defending the US Open. No woman has retained the title since Serena Williams won three in a row in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Asked earlier in the tournament for her thoughts on the fact that the last 11 US Open titles have been shared between 10 players, Sabalenka quipped: "My thought is to change it."

The ICC ONE Toastmasters Club, with a legacy of over 20 years, hosted its open house meeting with over 50 participants, including 24 first-time guests. Christopher Aleida, founder president M I Farid, Abhishek Mohanty, Deepikha Chandrasekhar Fernandes, Hany ZamZam, Mansoor Moideen, and club president Balakrishnan Karyot spoke.The meeting was also attended by senior leaders of Toastmasters Qatar.

The Gulf countries and the entire Middle East region are going through extraordinary times since the outbreak of open war between Iran and Israel in last June, noted several experts at a panel discussion.Organised by the Middle East Council on Global Affairs earlier this week, the discussion ‘ Rethinking Gulf Security Following the Iran- Israel War' brought four experts on the topic who delved deep into current developments and their implications. They felt that the outbreak of an open war between Iran and Israel in June has considerably intensified challenges to Gulf security.Sanam Vakil, director, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House said that the countries in the region are going through a period very much defined by geopolitical competition. She noted that there are a lot of questions about consistency in these countries' relationship with the United States and the reliability of US as a security partner.“Conflicts have doubled across the world, and we are, of course, seeing that in the region, but we don't have to look too far from the Middle East itself to see the devastating impact of a conflict. And multilateralism and the investment of the international community is not just stabilising conflicts. Settling conflicts is also proving to be ineffective. We see this very visibly in Gaza,” said Vakil.The panelists also noted that the region is confronting complicated questions including charting the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and Israel’s increasing incursions on Gaza, the West Bank, and the wider region.Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow for Middle East Policy, International Institute for Strategic Studies noted that Israel represents and presents an objective threat to the security of the Arab countries.“There are multiple reasons why that is the case. Most certainly, Israel started a war that I would be fairly confident in saying that probably most or at least perhaps all of the Gulf States did not want to be at war. I think Israel actually presents more of a direct threat because of the fact that it seems to have embraced the view of the region as an open battleground. This has direct security destabilising spillover effects for the Arab and the Gulf States,” explained Alhasan.The panel also noted that diplomatic efforts to revive a nuclear deal with Iran have been significantly undermined by the “12-day war.”According to Yasmine Farouk, director, Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Project, International Crisis Group, the picture is much more complex and difficult to manage. “It is very clear that there is a gap in how the US sees the conflicts and this conflict in this region and how the Gulf countries see them. The Gulf countries see the conflicts of the region as interconnected,” she pointed out.Shahram Akbarzadeh, nonresident senior fellow, Middle East Council said that there is a deep distrust, especially among the leadership of the international system, and how the United States manages to utilise the system to its full advantage. The session was moderated by Adel Abdel Ghafar, senior fellow, Foreign Policy Programme director, Middle East Council.

HE the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohamed al-Mannai attended the “AI and XR Sandbox Demo Open Day”, organised by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), through the Tasmu Innovation Lab.The event brought together government entities, startups, and partners from across the communication and information technology sector to showcase four proof-of-concept solutions, designed to address real-world challenges in healthcare, compliance, procurement, and smart-city mobility.The Sandbox Open Demo Day provided a safe and controlled environment for piloting, developing, and evaluating emerging technologies.The initiative aims to accelerate digital innovation while upholding the highest standards of safety and security.This approach aligns with the mission of the ministry to enable a resilient digital transformation and contributes directly to the Digital Agenda 2030 and Qatar National Vision 2030.As part of the initiative, participants from government entities and startups were given access to Vertex, Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform, along with mentorship and support from Deloitte AI Institute experts and Google specialists.The Extended Reality Sandbox provided participants with advanced augmented and virtual reality tools, a unified development portal, and intensive hands-on training from Deloitte Digital experts.This blend of theoretical and practical training enabled participants to transform their innovative concepts into viable 3D proof-of-concept solutions.The event showcased four advanced pilot proof-of-concept solutions, three AI-based solutions and one extended reality solution.The first was a secured X-ray image sharing tool, developed by participants from the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation and Sinaholz, which utilises AI to hide patient-identifying data from medical images, enabling safe data sharing among authorised entities while preserving privacy.The second was an electronic policy compliance analyser, developed by a team from the Ministry of Finance that automatically reviews policy and regulatory documents, comparing them against established standards to detect potential non-compliance and streamline governance processes.The third was a smart request-for-proposal generator that automates the creation of procurement requests, enhancing consistency, accelerating workflows, and reducing processing time, the proof-of-concept is the product of a collective effort from the MCIT, the Ministry of Culture, the General Authority of Customs, Communications Regulatory Authority, and RF{X}AI.The fourth, developed within the Extended Reality Sandbox, was an innovative parking design solution by Sinaholz aimed at reducing construction costs and risks, optimising space utilisation, and enhancing user experience through advanced digital tools for management and pre-booking.Commenting on the event, Reem al-Mansoori, the assistant undersecretary for Digital Industry Affairs at the MCIT, stated: “The launch of the first cohort of proof-of-concept solutions under the Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality Sandbox Initiative marks a significant step forward in advancing Qatar’s digital innovation ecosystem.”"Participating teams successfully transformed their ideas into practical proof-of-concept solutions, demonstrating the vast potential of emerging technologies in addressing real-world challenges,” she said. “The sandboxes provide a secure environment to pilot and refine digital solutions before large-scale deployment, reducing risks and improving implementation quality.”"Furthermore, they serve as a platform to build bridges of collaboration between government entities, innovators, startups, and global partners,” al-Mansoori added. “This inaugural experience has established a pioneering model for collaboration, setting the foundation for a new phase of digital innovation that enhances service delivery, drives economic diversification, and accelerates the implementation of the Digital Agenda 2030.”Throughout this initiative, the MCIT’s Tasmu Innovation Lab has worked on bringing global expertise into Qatar’s digital innovation ecosystem by engaging international technology experts to collaborate with local talents.The Sandbox initiative stands out as a pioneering platform through which the ministry is driving national digital transformation, in line with the pillars of the Digital Agenda 2030, by providing a clear and responsible pathway for piloting, scaling, and adopting emerging technologies, a statement added.