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  Qatar is cementing its position as a regional leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation through Fanar, a domestically developed Arabic AI platform that reflects the country’s ambition to pioneer digital innovation, according to a leading Qatari AI expert.  Fanar is Qatar’s first Arabic generative AI platform, developed by the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), and reflects the national ambition to lead in digital innovation in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Digital Agenda 2030.  “Fanar, the Arabic-centric large language model developed by QCRI, is a homegrown AI system built to serve the language, culture, and values of the country and the region, and a concrete demonstration of what sovereign AI capability looks like in practice,” Dr Aref al-Tamimi, senior manager of the National Cyber Security Research Lab at QCRI, told Gulf Times.  Dr al-Tamimi said Qatar has worked to diversify its economy beyond oil and gas under its National Vision 2030, resulting in various initiatives such as Fanar.  “Through its National AI Strategy, and through institutions such as the Qatar Computing Research Institute and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), the country has made real strides in AI research, Arabic language technologies, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. Fanar is a concrete demonstration of what sovereign AI capability looks like in practice and gives Qatar a solid foundation on which to build a genuinely competitive and sovereign AI ecosystem,” he explained.  Built for the Arabic-speaking world, Fanar is a cutting-edge multi-model AI platform that understands and generates Arabic text and audio with depth, accuracy, and cultural sensitivity. From dialect-rich conversations to voice and image processing, Fanar delivers seamless, intelligent interactions to empower governments, educators, creators, and businesses to navigate the Arabic AI landscape.  The researcher noted that an independent AI system does not mean shutting out the world. “International co-operation remains one of the great engines of scientific progress, and it should stay that way. But co-operation must be balanced with self-reliance, and that requires deliberate action on several fronts,” he noted.  According to him, countries should invest in modern computing infrastructure capable of training and deploying large AI models domestically, such as Fanar, alongside secure national cloud platforms and trusted data repositories.  “Countries must invest in people. Universities, research centres, and industry must pull in the same direction to educate the next generation of AI scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, supported by policies that encourage responsible AI development and nurture local startups. Qatar has embraced this principle for years; its sustained investment in education and research, from Education City to HBKU and QCRI, reflects a long-standing belief that human capital is the nation’s most valuable resource,” Dr al-Tamimi highlighted.  Fanar champions the Arabic language, preserving its depth and heritage while ensuring it thrives in the digital age. It creates AI that masters Arabic, not just speaking the language but understanding it at its deepest level. Fanar generates video, images, and audio with deep contextual understanding, bringing content to life across multiple formats.  Dr al-Tamimi said that open AI models are not a complete substitute for commercial platforms. “Running advanced AI still demands serious computing power, deep technical expertise, and continuous maintenance, precisely the capabilities that Sovereign AI investment is meant to build. For most countries, the realistic path is a hybrid one: combining open models with carefully selected commercial services, while ensuring that the capabilities that matter most remain firmly in local hands,” he added. 

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) on Sunday launched the second "My Values Draw My Identity" project for the 2025-2026 academic year, in its revamped format across private schools and kindergartens. This year, the project embarks on a new phase of expansion and development, with new partners joining its ranks to further reinforce its mission. These partners include the Qatar Cancer Society, the Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center (Fanar), the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Analysis and Outreach Hub (Doha), the UNICEF Gulf Area Office, and the UNICEF Representative Office for Yemen, highlighted Dr. Rania Mohammed, Director of Private Schools and Kindergartens Affairs and Acting Director of Private Schools Licensing. Dr. Rania Mohammed added that the project absorbs every effort to protect values and deepen identity. In its belief in the criticality of planning and continuity, MoEHE's Department of Private Schools and Kindergartens Affairs has been committed this year to deliver the five initiatives according to a defined timeline, allowing each initiative to progress along its full trajectory, from planning to execution, to instill values in students' behavior and encourage the active engagement of parents and teachers at every stage. These initiatives are not merely activities, but practical tools to monitor enduring values and promote the national identity, in a manner that embodies the nation's vision to prepare generations conscious of their duties, firmly anchored in their roots, open to the horizons of the future, and equipped to serve the homeland while actively engaging in its renaissance, she pointed out. Dr. Mohammed further emphasized that the project is not merely an initiative, but a covenant for future generations to promote an educational environment that absorbs their values and dreams, enabling the homeland to build citizens grounded in the heritage of their past while actively shaping their future. The project, spearheaded by the department in collaboration with the Tarbeya Center for Tomorrow's Pioneers, has become a guiding beacon, directing steps toward pouring authentic values and the national identity firmly into students' consciousness, she said. Dr. Mohammed noted that the project's outputs were clearly visible in 2024, with participation from all private schools and kindergartens, which presented quintessential models of integrated educational work in coordination with 21 national partners, including ministries and institutions. This, she added, was achieved through multiple initiatives under the project, themed: Heritage and Authenticity (Al-'Iraqa wa Al-Asala), Safe Sailing (Al-Ibhaar Al-Amin), Aseel, Ikhaa', and Nature and Your Soul is a Trust. Throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, the project maintained its confidence momentum, extending its reach to 352 private schools and kindergartens, benefiting approximately 240,000 students through lectures and orientation workshops, Dr. Mohammed outlined. She noted that the project witnessed extensive engagement from over 133,000 students in diverse activities, alongside the notable involvement of more than 39,000 parents. A total of 192 activities and events were delivered, encompassing lectures, workshops, challenges, e-games, family and creative activities, competitions, theatrical performances, storytelling, and murals, conducted in both Arabic and English, Dr. Mohammed highlighted. She affirmed that the pedagogical impact of the project was assessed by 523 stakeholders from private schools and kindergartens, with findings confirming that the provided activities were highly appropriate for the targeted age groups and had directly contributed to deepening values and ethical behavior in students, while also motivating parents and teachers to active engagement. Partnership in this national project is a badge of trust and great responsibility. The center was given the opportunity to sit with the MoEHE team at the planning table to consolidate, structure, and implement the project, said Dr. Shawkat Talafha, Executive Director of the "My Values Draw My Identity" Project and Director General of the Tarbeya Center for Tomorrow's Pioneers. He added that the center dedicated its expertise to developing the pedagogical content, along with its skills to measure the values, monitor their impact and performance, in lockstep with a team of experts in the department who wield the educational mission and uphold the motto of Excellence and Development. Dr. Talafha affirmed that these experts were best suited to manage and monitor the project's steps and findings, while also reflecting on field feedback to sharpen work plans, driving both enhancement and excellence, mapping partnerships, and paving the way for anyone seeking to contribute to this noble educational endeavor.