Since the early days of founding of Qatar, technology has been recognised as one of the requisites for the progress of a country. The Third National Development Strategy outlines information technology as a core enabling sector to develop Qatar’s digital economy and its long-term capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.
Qatar has made significant technological advances in recent years. The government launched the Digital Agenda 2030 in 2024 to accelerate the economy’s diversification and sustainable growth. The six pillars of the Digital Agenda are aimed at accelerating technology adoption, economic growth, promoting innovation, providing outstanding government services, developing robust databases and enabling the society to flourish in a growing digital world.
As part of these efforts, Qatar yesterday launched Web Summit 2025, a global gathering that brings together thousands of stakeholders in the technology, including entrepreneurs, startups, and investors. The country will be hosting the summit until 2028 and it is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host this global event. The goals of the summit align with the country’s objectives for a digital future and diversification of the economy.
The summit helps enhance Qatar’s position as a major hub for technology and innovation in the region. It attracts the attention of global technology industry leaders and stakeholders to Qatar, offering them an opportunity to explore the country’s advanced infrastructure, investment-friendly regulatory system, strong and resilient economy, high-quality living standards, and access to local and global talents.
The Web Summit Qatar 2025 is being hosted at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) with a significantly larger participation than its previous edition. The event is set to gather over 25,000 technology and business leaders, founders, 600 world-leading investors, and over 1,500 startups. Running until Feb 26, it will also witness Qatari startup participation surging by 140% compared to last year.
It serves as a strategic platform to discuss the latest advancements in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and tech entrepreneurship, while also highlighting promising investment opportunities in Qatar’s technology sector. The summit plays a crucial role in supporting startups and fostering a dynamic digital innovation ecosystem.
Up from 1,000 startups at its inaugural edition, Web Summit Qatar’s second edition will gather 1,500 of the most promising early-stage startups from 90 countries – 46% of which are women-founded; 85% of which are global and 15% are from Qatar. It highlights both the strength of the Qatari ecosystem and its international appeal as well as Web Summit’s reputation as the global showcase for the world’s most promising new businesses.
