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Qatar is steadily progressing towards establishing itself as a regional and global hub for the digital economy and innovation through investment in human capital, the development of innovation ecosystem, and the enhancement of the ICT sector’s contribution to the national economy, officials at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) said.This was highlighted during a panel discussion at the Web Summit Qatar 2026, titled ‘Qatar’s digital agenda 2030: Building a knowledge-based digital economy.’ Participants reviewed mechanisms for translating the agenda into tangible results in terms of job opportunities, skills development, and economic impact, highlighting the role of the MCIT in leading this transformation through strategic pillars and pioneering programmes. Director of Digital Society and Digital Competencies at the MCIT Duha al-Buhendi stated that Qatar’s vision for technology is based on a long-term approach aimed at making the country an incubator for ideas and a platform for international technological co-operation, noting that organising technological events is incomplete without genuine investment in the development of human capital and the cultivation of digital skills. Al-Buhendi explained that the challenge lies not in the number of available jobs, but in the availability of qualified personnel capable of filling them, adding that the MCIT has launched several initiatives to develop local talent and attract international expertise. The Director of Digital Society and Digital Competencies stated that more than 5,000 government employees were trained last year, with a high satisfaction rate recorded for workforce development programmes. Director of the Digital Innovation Department at the MCIT Eman al-Kuwari said the ministry focuses on establishing supportive platforms to nurture talent and transform innovative ideas into applicable market solutions, thus bridging the gap between innovation and actual market needs. She noted that innovation programmes have contributed to generating more than 160 sales opportunities, resulting in revenues exceeding QR670mn. She emphasised that connecting international talent with the local ecosystem is a fundamental element in addressing national challenges and enhancing the efficiency of digital services.Director of Digital Economy at the MCIT Faraj Jassim Abdulla said the ministry is working to increase the contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP, aiming to reach 10% in the medium term, in addition to creating thousands of new jobs in the technology market. He pointed to the recent announcement of an additional $2bn in investments in the digital sector, adding that despite global challenges, technology companies operating in the country have managed to secure significant funding and achieve remarkable revenue growth, reflecting the strength and resilience of the digital ecosystem. The Director of Digital Economy at the MCIT also noted that these efforts are part of a comprehensive vision to transform the national economy, supported by an attractive business environment, a high quality of life, and streamlined regulatory policies that encourage investment and innovation in the digital economy. 

Qatar participated in the 29th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information, held in Cairo Thursday. The Qatari delegation to the session was headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Operations Affairs at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Sami Mohammed al-Shammari.In statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the meeting, al-Shammari said that Qatar's participation aims to strengthen partnerships and expand joint Arab co-operation in the fields of communications and information technology. He noted that the rapid acceleration in information and communications technology and artificial intelligence necessitates the unification of efforts and visions related to ICT and its fast-evolving landscape.He added that Qatar has achieved significant advances in this sector in recent years, expressing Qatar's aspiration to share its expertise and partnerships developed during the past period with other Arab countries. He also emphasized that information technology requires regional and global alignment, explaining that coordination will begin at the Arab level as a step toward unifying Arab positions in regional forums.For his part, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Economic Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, Ambassador Dr Ali bin Ibrahim al-Malki, stated in similar remarks to QNA that the meeting addressed several issues related to communications technology, information technology, and postal services. Among the most notable outcomes, he said, was the approval of the establishment of a Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies as a permanent committee under the Council of Arab Ministers of Communications, in addition to the adoption of the Arab Ethical Charter for Artificial Intelligence, which serves as a guiding and advisory framework for Arab states.He noted that the session also discussed a range of key issues and challenges facing the communications sector in general, reviewed achievements made during the previous period, and examined other matters related to communications technology and postal services. He highlighted that one of the most significant achievements was granting the State of Palestine full membership in the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and raising the Palestinian flag at the Union for the first time. 

CEO of GSMA Ltd John Hoffman emphasised that the MWC25 Doha Conference constitutes an exceptional platform to highlight the technological development taking place in the region and to enhance its position as a key driver of regional and international digital transformation.In his remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Hoffman said that Qatar is currently an ideal location to showcase progress in the ICT sector and advanced technology in general. Government support, strategic vision, and a commitment to innovation are key factors in the success of the technology ecosystem, which contributes to the success of the conference. He pointed out that organising this global event at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center reflects a high level of readiness and professionalism, especially with the showcasing of the latest technologies, along with active government participation and an intensive presence of global thought leaders and decision-makers, as well as the ministerial programme that brings together ministers and officials from various countries around the world to discuss policies that support the flourishing of technology.He indicated that the GSMA committed to organising the event in Doha for five years, believing that the region will continue to grow as a major communications and technology hub, especially since more than 50% of 5G communications are concentrated in this region, in addition to the expansion in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data and advanced digital infrastructure.He also stressed that Doha forms a complementary link to the global events route of MWC, which began in Barcelona, ​​then Shanghai and Kigali, before concluding in Qatar. This reflects a strategic integration that enhances the global presence and highlights the region as a rising power in the field of technology. He considered the accompanying exhibition a global platform for showcasing innovation and promoting co-operation between startups and major institutions, as more than 100 startup projects are participating this year to present ideas and technical solutions, which contributes to supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem and establishing an environment that stimulates creativity.He highlighted the role of the GSMA in uniting international efforts to bridge the digital usage gap, noting that around three billion people around the world are still outside the mobile Internet system despite the availability of coverage, as the association works with various partners to facilitate access to technology and reduce digital inequality.Concluding his remarks, John Hoffman noted the importance of local partnerships in the success of MWC, praising the co-operation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center and all partners from operators and infrastructure providers to achieve sustainable success. 

Reem Mohammed al-Mansoori, who serves as Assistant Undersecretary for Digital Community Development at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, affirmed that the digital economy represents the future of growth, and that the State of Qatar is working to diversify its economy and enhance the contribution of the ICT sector to GDP, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.Speaking during a session on designing the experiences economy at the MWC25 Conference in Doha, al-Mansoori said that the national digital transformation strategy for the next five years has set a clear target of having the ICT sector contribute 4 percent to GDP growth. She noted that the national digital agenda has laid the foundation for achieving an experience economy and creating a new generation of services based on data and artificial intelligence.She highlighted that Qatar has given high priority to AI technologies, launching a national strategy to build an infrastructure for sovereign AI, in addition to developing smart services across key sectors. She pointed to the completion of digital transformation roadmaps in infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, transportation, and logistics.Al-Mansoori added that the State of Qatar has successfully developed a highly advanced national digital platform based on cloud infrastructure, after attracting global cloud providers such as Google and Microsoft to establish data centres capable of supporting various sectors and enabling them to deliver digital solutions more quickly and efficiently.Regarding the sports sector, the Assistant Undersecretary explained that it was among the priority sectors for digital transformation in recent years. The ministry worked with partners to develop an integrated digital ecosystem that contributed to the success of the fan experience during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, through visitor-tracking systems, smart guidance applications, and fan engagement platforms.She said that the digital legacy of the World Cup has been capitalised on and developed within the tourism strategy, which aims to attract 6mn visitors annually and achieve QR34bn in tourism spending by 2030.She noted that the State of Qatar is redesigning its tourism-service ecosystem to deliver a comprehensive and innovative experience for visitors and residents, within the framework of the experience economy.On the development of digital skills, she underlined that the biggest global challenge lies in attracting talent. She noted that the Digital Agenda 2030 aims to create 26,000 new jobs in the digital economy, which requires collaboration with the education ecosystem, talent reskilling, and the launch of new programmes to attract specialists, including the recently announced digital-talent visa.In concluding her remarks al-Mansoori stressed that economic prosperity is the true measure of digital transformation success. She emphasised that every technological project or investment in the country must contribute to improving quality of life, supporting economic growth, and achieving Qatar’s long-term vision.

Huawei Qatar hosted the 'Innovation in Education and Talent Excellence Awards', an event dedicated to honouring the accomplishments of students from Qatar in the global ICT Competition and presenting the latest advancements in educational technology.The event brought together prominent figures from Qatar's academic and government sectors, including Dr Salem al-Naemi, president of the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST); Dr Btool Hashim al-Sayed, director of The Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; partners, deans and faculty members from Qatar University (QU), UDST, Community college of Qatar (CCQ), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and Lusail University.In his welcome address, Alex Dai, executive vice-president of Huawei Gulf North, said: “At Huawei, we believe investing in human potential is the nation's most strategic investment. We are proud to partner with Qatar to nurture its next generation of digital leaders, equipping them with cutting-edge skills and platforms to innovate—like the brilliant UDST students who recently made the nation proud. Together, we are building the ICT talent that will lead Qatar’s digital future."Dr al-Sayed stressed the importance of such collaborations by describing that the student accomplishments embody the very essence of Qatar National Vision 2030, which places innovation and knowledge at the heart of sustainable development."This success was made possible through strong collaboration between our academic institutions, government, and industry partners—a model that fosters the innovation ecosystem Qatar is building. Our leadership encourages applying knowledge in real-world contexts, transforming ideas into solutions that drive progress and diversify our economy for a prosperous future."Dr Rachid Benlamri, vice president - academics of UDST, highlighted the value of industry-academia synergy. "Events such as the Huawei ICT skills Competition-Innovation track provide our students with a global platform to showcase their talents while demonstrating the powerful results of academia-industry collaboration in building Qatar's knowledge-based economy."Huawei's experts led sessions on the latest emerging trends shaping the future of education. The presentations highlighted Huawei's advanced education technologies and innovative approaches to creating next-generation learning environments, emphasising the critical role of robust digital infrastructure in enabling transformative educational experiences. The discussions focused on building technology-enabled learning ecosystems that support innovation and enhance educational outcomes.The ceremony also recognised students from Qatar who excelled in the National and Regional competition and celebrated the outstanding achievements of UDST students’ team who has secured second place in the Innovation Track of the Huawei ICT Competition 2024–2025 Global Final, held in Shenzhen, China in May 2025. Competing against over 40 teams from around the world, the UDST team represented Qatar on the global stage, making the nation proud through their groundbreaking project titled 'Be My Sense'.The Huawei ICT Competition is one of the world’s largest and most competitive technology contests, celebrating its 10th edition this year. The 2024–2025 event attracted more than 210,000 students from over 80 countries, culminating in a highly selective Global Final where 179 teams from 48 countries competed in various tracks including Network, Cloud, Computing, and Innovation.Additional highlights featured insights on the synergy between academia and industry. Prof Mohamed Abdallah, associate dean of Undergraduate Studies and Quality Assurance at the College of Science and Engineering at HBKU, underscored that while basic science forms the essential 'brain' of education—providing the critical thinking and foundational knowledge—integrating industry-certified courses on the latest technologies is crucial for ensuring graduates are career-ready.Academic leaders from QU and CCQ emphasised on the importance of modernising curricula through strategic partnerships to include applied learning modules that keep pace with the digital economy.This was complemented by a presentation from AI department at Al Jazeera Media Network, which detailed their recent AI Hackathon, delivered in collaboration with Huawei Cloud. The media leader highlighted the hackathon's immense success not just as a competition, but as a vital talent pipeline and a practical model for innovation.