Government Communications Office Director meets representatives of major tech companies at Web Summit Qatar 2024
Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Government Communications Office Director and Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 Steering Committee, met with senior representatives from several major tech companies today to discuss their participation in the summit.
The day-long series of meetings held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center included discussions with Meta representatives Kojo Boakye, Head of Strategy and Operations, Public Policy, Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye; Anas Metwaly, Head of Public Policy for GCC; Basma Ammari, Regional Director of Public Policy for MENA and Andy O’Connell, VP of Product Policy & Strategy. Additionally, Shiekh Jassim met with Google’s Anthony Nakache, Managing Director for MENA and Poliana Geha, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager. The Organising Committee Chairman also met with Philip Thomas, CEO at Ascential, John Wren, Chairman and CEO at Omnicom Group, Kevin Mayer, Co-CEO of Candle Media, Paul Cheesbrough, CEO at Tubi Media Group and Ken Seiff, General Partner at Blockchange Ventures.
The meetings revolved around the companies’ engagements at the summit, including their speaking sessions, exhibits, demonstrations and other activities. The meetings reflect Qatar’s meaningful partnerships across the global media landscape and its continued efforts to expand its business footprint in the technology sector. In addition, they signal Web Summit Qatar 2024’s growing momentum and support from major tech players, boosting the country’s economic diversification drive as part of its national vision for 2030 and beyond.
With the participation of 15,453 attendees from 118 countries, a jam-packed schedule of talks and workshops, focused on topics from FinTech and quantum computing to biotech and smart cities, is set to take place during the conference’s four-day run.
Qatar’s inaugural edition marked the largest gathering of startups in the Middle East, with 1,043 startups from 81 countries selected to take part. Qatar’s startup community is also out in full force, amounting to 10 percent of the total participants and seizing the opportunity to network with investors and demonstrate their groundbreaking ideas.
The global tech event made its debut in Qatar and the Middle East last night with an opening ceremony that featured the participation of HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher, Co-founder and CEO of Replit Amjad Masad and TV presenter Trevor Noah.
With the eyes of the international tech industry on Doha, Qatar is showcasing its capacity to host a conference on this scale, adding to its track record of hosting major global events, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Formula 1 and Expo Doha 2023, AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, among many more.