GCO Director speaks to QNA about Web Summit Lisbon 2026

Sheikh Jassim: Qatar’s participation in Web Summit Lisbon reflects the country’s growing prominence on the global technology stage

Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office (GCO), Chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee, and Head of Qatar’s delegation to Web Summit Lisbon 2026, said Qatar’s fourth consecutive year at the summit reflects its growing prominence in global technology, as its presence moves beyond showcasing investment opportunities to building partnerships and turning international interest into Qatar-based companies and investments.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), he explained that Lisbon is a starting point for dialogue with the global technology community, a conversation that will continue at Web Summit Qatar 2027, which Qatar will host from 31 January to 3 February 2027.

He noted that, according to a recently released report, the direct and indirect returns of the previous edition of the summit exceeded QAR 1 billion, a 26 per cent increase over the previous year, with a contribution of approximately QAR 661 million to the GDP, underscoring the summit’s growing role as an economic driver and a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship in Qatar.

On Qatar’s participation in Web Summit Lisbon for the fourth consecutive year, Sheikh Jassim said: “When we first participated in Web Summit Lisbon, our goal was to introduce Qatar and the inaugural edition of Web Summit in the region. Today, we arrive in Lisbon having organised three successful editions of Web Summit Qatar, accompanied by a comprehensive ecosystem of entities, programs, and funds dedicated to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. We have moved beyond introducing Qatar to the global technology community, and our focus today is on building partnerships and delivering tangible results.”

He added: “Our message this year is that Qatar is not merely a destination to explore; it is a place to establish and grow a business and to expand into regional markets, while also offering a suitable environment for living and settling down.”

He continued: “With more than 70,000 participants from over 160 countries at Web Summit Lisbon, we ensure that every meeting we hold here is the beginning of a practical process that will continue in Qatar.”

On the results of the previous edition, the GCO Director said the event achieved record-breaking numbers, attracting 30,274 participants from 127 countries, doubling attendance in just two years, alongside 1,637 startups, 247 of them Qatari, and more than 930 investors.

He added: “Visitors spent an average of six days in the country, which means that every participant we attract, whether from Lisbon or elsewhere, generates value that extends to the hospitality, transport, and tourism sectors.”

On business outcomes, Sheikh Jassim said the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) received approximately 2,300 licence applications during the four days of the summit, compared with about 1,600 in the previous edition, and that more than 300 companies completed their registration during the event itself.

He continued: “The summit also saw the announcement of an expansion of the Qatar Investment Authority’s Fund of Funds program, bringing its total commitments to USD 3 billion, and the launch of a 10-year residency program for entrepreneurs, founders, and senior executives.”

He explained that these results confirm Web Summit Qatar has moved beyond its role as a conference for networking and knowledge exchange to become a platform where investment decisions are made and real businesses are launched, describing this as “the impact we are committed to deepening in future editions.”

On translating international interest in Lisbon into tangible results, the GCO Director explained that this year’s participation is built on the principle that every meeting should lead to a practical next step, whether introducing the relevant entity, arranging a meeting with a startup, or extending an invitation to the next edition of the summit in Qatar.

He said: “In this spirit, Companies House, launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to unify company registration and licensing in Qatar’s economic zones, is taking part for the first time, allowing entrepreneurs to begin establishing their companies from Lisbon rather than simply gathering information.” He added: “We also recognise that a company’s decision to move to a new country is, at its core, tied to the decision of its employees and their families to move. That is why we speak about quality of life as much as we speak about investment incentives.”

He explained that the Qatar pavilion features 97 interviews with people from 76 countries who moved to Qatar and built their lives and careers there, each telling their story in their native language, while the “Ask Qatar” activation allows visitors to put questions directly to people who live in the country and learn about daily life there. He continued: “We believe the most authentic picture of Qatar comes from those who have experienced it themselves, and that these human stories complement the information we provide on business and investment opportunities.”

On what sets Qatar apart in the competition to attract companies and investors, Sheikh Jassim noted that Qatar offers an integrated business environment built on four key pillars: capital, regulatory environment, talent, and digital infrastructure.

On capital, he explained that the Startup Qatar Investment Program, offered by Qatar Development Bank, provides eligible companies with funding of up to USD 1.1 million at the launch stage and USD 5.5 million at the growth stage. The program has attracted more than 10,000 applications from around the world and provided more than USD 100 million in funding to around 50 startups.

He noted that Invest Qatar’s portal connects startups with 14 venture capital funds, a resource used by more than 500 companies, in addition to the USD 1 billion investment incentive package launched by Invest Qatar. He added that the QFC offers benefits including up to 100 per cent foreign ownership, full repatriation of profits, and a competitive 10 per cent corporate tax rate on locally generated profits.

On talent, the GCO Director said the 10-year residency program gives entrepreneurs, founders, and senior executives the opportunity to settle in the country for the long term, while digital infrastructure strengthens Qatar’s position as an advanced environment for technology businesses.

He noted that Qatar scored 98.4 out of 100 on the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index 2026, the sixth-highest score among the 159 economies assessed, including a perfect score of 100 in the Universal Connectivity pillar.

He explained that these strengths are complemented by an increasingly diversified economy, with non-hydrocarbon sectors now accounting for approximately 70 per cent of GDP, compared with 40 per cent in 2011. He added that Qatar ranks first in the region and fourth globally in entrepreneurship in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2026, and second globally on Numbeo’s Safety Index.

He affirmed that what Qatar offers investors is not merely a set of incentives, but an integrated business environment built on solid foundations and measurable results, providing a basis for long-term business growth.

On supporting startups based in Qatar to reach global markets, Sheikh Jassim said: “We make sure our presence in Lisbon works in both directions: attracting companies to Qatar, and opening new avenues for companies based in Qatar to reach global markets.”

He explained that the four companies in the Qatar pavilion this year represent diverse models of Qatari innovation, working in smart agriculture, AI agents, secure enterprise AI solutions, and workplace wellbeing, adding that two of them, Growa.Ai and Aligator, have already begun entering the Saudi market with support from the Scale Now program under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

He noted that the results of Qatar’s entrepreneurship support programs reflect the scale of this ecosystem. The TASMU Accelerator has supported 75 startups, 40 of which have registered their businesses in Qatar, with participating companies generating more than QAR 670 million in sales and a total portfolio value exceeding QAR 4 billion. More than 521 startups have also benefited from the Digital Incubation Center’s programs.

On his aspirations for the fourth edition of the summit in Qatar, the GCO Director said: “In the fourth edition, we are building on what the previous three have achieved, and we aim to deepen its economic and investment impact, not merely to increase its size. Our goal is more partnerships that become projects, investments that contribute to economic growth, and companies that choose Qatar as a base for their business and expansion.”

He affirmed that the summit will continue to focus on sectors shaping the future of the global economy, including artificial intelligence, fintech, energy, and government innovation, all of which intersect directly with Qatar’s economic diversification priorities.

Concluding his interview with QNA, Sheikh Jassim said: “My message to the founders, investors, and technology leaders taking part in Web Summit Lisbon is that Qatar allows you to move from ideas to businesses, from networking to partnerships, and from founding companies to growing them and expanding across the region’s markets. In Qatar, you will find a supportive environment, committed partners, and government entities working to empower the private sector, alongside the essentials you need to grow your business and build a stable life at the same time.”