GCO, Qatar Embassy host Runway to Web Summit Qatar 2027 event in Washington

Discussions explore partnership opportunities ahead of a wider US company presence at the summit Google, Amazon, and Microsoft among participants 

The Government Communications Office (GCO) and the Embassy of the State of Qatar in the United States organised a promotional event in Washington, DC, as part of ongoing preparations for the fourth edition of Web Summit Qatar, taking place in Doha from 31 January to 3 February 2027.

The event welcomed representatives from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and TechMet, alongside investors, entrepreneurs, and startups.

The program featured 12 speakers representing leading entities from Qatar and the United States. Discussions covered building global partnerships for investment, innovation, and growth, as well as startup success stories and the role of smart capital in supporting the next generation of companies.

The event aimed to build on strong US participation in the previous edition of the summit in Qatar and deepen engagement with the US technology and investment ecosystem. It also sought to support wider international participation in the summit and create more opportunities for companies, investors, and entrepreneurs from Qatar and the United States to connect.

HE Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States of America, said: “Qatar and the United States share a longstanding strategic partnership, with technology and innovation becoming increasingly important pillars of our cooperation.”

His Excellency added: “US companies and startups had a strong presence at Web Summit Qatar 2026, and this second runway event builds on that engagement ahead of the 2027 edition, connecting founders and investors with partnerships and growth opportunities in Qatar and across the region.”

During a panel session, Soud Ahmed Al Boinin, Director of Studies and Strategic Planning at the GCO, said: “Last year’s event had a great turnout, which is why we are taking the Runway beyond DC, starting with Paris this week. Around 40% of those who attended last year’s event went on to join us in Doha. I think that is a testament to the great efforts the country has put in, and to the great partner we have in Web Summit.”

He added: “We wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the US as the most active national presence at Web Summit Qatar. Around 22% of our partners come from the US, whether Snapchat, Amazon, Microsoft, or Google.”

Al Boinin continued: “Qatar has tripled the capital behind its startup ecosystem over the last two years. People in the region had been looking for an event like this for some time, and since Web Summit arrived, demand has kept growing, with 85% of the startups coming from abroad. Our aim is to become the technology hub of the region, with the right tools in place to deliver on that.”

Dr Hamad Rashid Al Naimi, Chief Strategy Officer at Invest Qatar, said: “We spoke today about the benefits US companies can unlock by coming to Qatar, from connecting with the Qatari ecosystem and prototyping solutions to building in Qatar and then scaling to the region. We are here to highlight the Qatari investment ecosystem and the benefits it offers foreign companies setting up businesses in Qatar.”

He added: “Founders should use Web Summit Qatar as a platform to come to Qatar, meet the stakeholders, investors, founders, and companies of the local ecosystem under one roof, and discover the benefits of the Startup Qatar program. At Invest Qatar, we help them connect with local stakeholders, understand the market dynamics and licensing pathways, and establish their businesses, and we support them as they grow and scale into the region.”

Craig Becker, Chief Events Officer at Web Summit, said: “We identified that the Middle East was a very important part of the world. Once we started getting into conversations with Qatar, what became unbelievably evident is that a city has to have a world-class venue. It has to have an international airport that is very well connected to the world, and it needs good infrastructure for people to move around. Of course, Qatar has that.”

He added: “What really stood out for us was the incredible depth of energy in the community, from the GCO through to all of the other stakeholders. Everybody is committed to making the world understand what the opportunities are. Everybody involved in the ecosystem is pulling in the same direction, and some of the barriers that might normally have been a problem for businesses to get going and get traction are being removed to make it easier.”

In a statement, Mariam Nusrat, Founder and CEO of Breshna.io, said: “I truly believe that Qatar has been monumental to our business growth. I can trace a lot of our B2B partnerships back to Doha.”

She added: “What stands out about Qatar to me is that it backs the human behind the business. The infrastructure is set up for international entrepreneurs to make it home, not just to build in Qatar, but to build for the Gulf.”

As part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between Qatar and the United States in technology and investment, the GCO had signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Chamber of Commerce Qatar (AmCham) on the sidelines of Web Summit Qatar 2026. The agreement aims to increase US participation in the summit by startups, investors, and decision-makers, and to explore cooperation at international forums, strengthening economic and technological ties between the two countries.

Upcoming Runway to Web Summit Qatar events will take place in Paris, Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Stockholm, bringing together technology communities, investors, founders, and business leaders ahead of their participation in the summit’s fourth edition in Doha. The summit forms part of Qatar’s efforts to build a thriving digital economy and consolidate its status as a leading destination for innovation.