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Director General of the GSMA Vivek Badrinath emphasised MWC25 Doha's great significance, which the association is organising in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), following the State of Qatar showing significant interest in technological transformation and having become an excellent and suitable place to promote the technological ecosystem.Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Badrinath said that this event was developed and designed in partnership with MCIT because of a genuine desire within the telecommunications sector to conduct business in the field, adding that this edition's success will confirm the correctness of choosing to hold this conference in Qatar, praising MCIT's support organising it, with everyone working closely to make the event a success.The Director General of the GSMA pointed out that 2,500 relevant and specialised companies will participate in the conference, in addition to 250 exhibitors, along withan accompanying GSMA Ministerial Programme which will see very wide representation from 110 countries.Badrinath said that this wide international participation will be especially interesting, particularly from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, which will showcase their strengths, technological advances, infrastructure, investment and innovation capabilities, partnership opportunities, and new solutions related to these sectors.He spoke about MWC25 Doha's role in shaping the digital future of the region amid growing investments in 5G technologies, cloud computing, and emerging technologies in the Middle East. He pointed out that 5G technology has already reached 50 percent coverage in GCC countries, which he said are leading this progress, while the conference aims to extend this momentum across the Mena region.The Director General of the GSMA said that there is still much to be done in terms of the usage gap and people's access, when looking at the wider region, adding that 340mn people are still not connected to mobile Internet, yet the fact that GCC countries are leading this progress serves as a motivation to move forward.Regarding the impact of artificial intelligence and smart transformation on businesses and opportunities, Badrinath said that digital transformation is key, noting that 10 percent of corporate revenues in the region will be spent on it, amid an increasing use of AI today to make companies more efficient, modern, and productive.He said that the telecommunications sector today needs strong co-operation between governments and operators, with the GSMA Ministerial Programme being an example of that, where governments, regulators, and operators can hold a dialogue on what needs to be done to advance digitalisation within countries and economies.Governments can do several things to support policies, such as helping with AI governance, setting the right rules, enabling experimentation, and keeping sector-specific taxes low, because telecom and communication activities are the foundation of everything, with connectivity being a prerequisite for digital transformation and AI, said the Director General of the GSMA.Badrinath stressed the importance of giving operators room to invest, noting that low taxes and a reasonable, predictable spectrum framework are measures governments can take, noting that these topics will be discussed in the ministerial programme.In response to a question about increasing investments in 5G, cloud computing, and new technologies in the region, and MWC25 Doha's role in accelerating AI adoption and building the digital future, the Director General of the GSMA told QNA that the mobile economy in the region, currently valued at $350bn, will grow, expecting it to reach about $470bn by 2030.He added that this will happen when people innovate, invest, and collaborate, emphasising that MWC25 Doha will help strengthen collaborations.Badrinath stated that 2,500 companies are holding daily meetings here in Qatar to explore new projects, investments, and technologies, adding that seeing the pace of investments coming from GCC countries and this part of the world makes him believe that this event has great potential.Regarding MWC25 Doha's outcomes, Badrinath said that they will be reflected in the event's level of participation and in the announcements that will be made, totalling more than 30.He added that this platform exists to bring the sector together and thrive, which entails making new deals, launching projects, introducing new products and initiatives, which will be seen over the coming days.

The Google team, including Executive Vice President of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Oliver Parker visited Al Jazeera Media Network’s headquarters on November 9 to discuss ways to collaborate in the fields of strategic development, artificial intelligence, and modern technologies, reported Al Jazeera Media Network.The delegation met with Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal al-Thani, Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network, where he highlighted that the Network is working towards establishing a global technological ecosystem to strengthen its position as a leading media institution in the field of adopting artificial intelligence technologies.In another meeting, the visiting delegation met with Ahmad Alyafei, Executive Director of Channels, Ahmad al-Fahad, Executive Director of Technology and Network Operations, Mounir Daymi, Executive Director of the Digital Division, Eman al-Amri, Director of Al Jazeera Media Institute, and the Network’s Strategy Review Committee.The Google team discussed with the Network Strategy Review Committee possible ways of co-operating and implementing Al Jazeera’s projects and creative initiatives to achieve the Network’s vision and goals.One of the most prominent projects presented at the meeting was the idea of the “The Core” project, the first integrated operational model that Al Jazeera is working to implement to integrate journalism with artificial intelligence technologies. It is redefining the formulation and production of news and making humans partners in the production process rather than just a user of technology and a recipient of news.The Google delegation included Yousri Mhedheb, Senior Digital Adviser of Google Cloud, Alex Rutter, EMEA Managing Director of AI, and Ghassan Kosta, Regional General Manager of Google Cloud, who expressed their pleasure to collaborate with Al Jazeera Media Network, as one of the leading media organisations in the region and the world.They toured Al Jazeera’s channels and newsrooms, and learned about the advanced technologies used in the production of media content.It is noteworthy that this meeting was preceded by a series of introductory meetings organised by the Network’s Strategy Review Committee with the Google team and its officials concerned with AI and cloud technologies, to discuss the mechanisms of joint co-operation between the two parties.