tag

A top official of the GSMA has lauded Qatar’s proactive investments to push forward its digitalisation journey, underscoring the country’s role as a global leader in shaping the future of connectivity.In an exclusive interview with Gulf Times on the sidelines of MWC25 Doha, Louis Powell, Director of AI Technologies at the GSMA, said Qatar ranks among the world’s top 10 investors in the digital economy and has set clear national goals through its Digital Agenda 2030.“I understand that Qatar is in the top 10 investors in the digital economy and ecosystem. The government is very proactive on the AI side of things, and I think it’s a great opportunity for them to uplift and empower their citizens and enterprises. Establishing a clear goal and ambition through its 2030 national vision not only sends a positive signal to the economy but also sets a guiding example for other nations,” Powell pointed out.According to Powell, the connectivity industry is expected to generate “$470bn in value between now and 2030.” He said MWC25 Doha attracted about 300 thought leaders, 250 exhibitors, and 100 startups, adding that “a lot of that value is created in these two days from these players in this space.”He said MWC25 Doha brings together a “core group of investors,” making the event a vital platform for showcasing breakthroughs in mobile technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and next-generation connectivity.Powell revealed what he was most excited about the developments in AI, citing the announcement of a strategic co-operation agreement between the GSMA Foundry, the GSMA’s innovation hub, and the Abu Dhabi-based Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the UAE.“We’re working with Khalifa University on building assets that boost the telecoms industry in AI,” Powell explained, adding that the university has a strong history in telecoms and recently built the first model designed specifically for the industry“And along with them, we have done a lot of work on benchmarking how models perform in the telecoms industry,” stressed Powell, who noted that telecoms data has unique requirements compared to consumer applications.“You can’t just take ChatGPT and use it on telecom-specific data. To address this, the GSMA is working with vendors in the open-source ecosystem and academia to boost model performance,” he further said.Asked about other key announcements or initiatives the GSMA unveiled at MWC25 Doha, and how they will shape the direction of the industry in the coming years, Powell said: “We've also launched a competition encouraging the industry to innovate in the telecom space, focusing on telecom-specific challenges such as troubleshooting. We also have great announcements on our open gateway through new announcements on network APIs.”Looking ahead, Powell said 6G will be “AI native,” with intelligence embedded into how networks are designed, constructed, and operated. “In the future, we’ll see how agentic systems really give you unlocked potential in scale and efficiency,” he pointed out. 

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen Qatar's digital ecosystem and enhance national digital readiness in line with the Digital Agenda 2030, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) convened the second meeting of the Digital Skills Working Group (DSWG).The Working Group serves as a national platform that brings together government entities to unify efforts and coordinate initiatives to strengthen national digital capabilities systematically and strategically.The meeting brought together representatives from several key entities, including the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB), the Ministry of Labour (MoL), the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), and the Ministry of Sports and Youth (MSY), participating in the Working Group for the first time following its recent inclusion.Building on the outcomes of the previous meeting, participants reviewed the progress achieved within the sub-working groups focused on Digital Skills for Children and Youth, Digital Training and Development, and the Digital Skills Frameworks. The meeting also addressed approaches to strengthening integration among national initiatives to ensure greater coherence and effective coordination in advancing the national digital skills ecosystem, thereby setting the foundation for the practical implementation of priority initiatives.The meeting also examined Qatar's performance indicators in international reports related to digital competitiveness and future skills, with the aim of gaining insight into the current situation and discuss the future areas for improvement. Participants also discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration and unify national efforts to sustain Qatar's progress and reinforce its leading position in digital skills development indices.The meeting concluded with an acknowledgment of the valuable contributions of all participating entities. The discussions emphasised that advancing digital skills across all segments of society, from children and youth to the workforce and senior citizens, is a key enabler for building an inclusive digital society and strengthening Qatar's position as a leading model in digital development.Participants highlighted the importance of continued coordination, knowledge exchange, and unified planning among entities to ensure the effective implementation of national digital-skills initiatives, while emphasizing the need to present future proposals and initiatives that support inclusive and sustainable digital growth in the State of Qatar.