Momentum builds as Web Summit Qatar 2024 Day 3 concludes
Momentum continued to build at Web Summit Qatar 2024, as the event’s third day saw increased engagement from thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders who took part in its long lineup of panel discussions, presentations, masterclasses and other networking activities.
The summit saw the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between leading Qatar-based and international entities aimed at driving the startup and innovation ecosystems forward. One agreement inked was between the Government Communications Office (GCO) and TikTok to expand Qatar’s digital footprint, while showcasing and growing its creator economy on the global social platform.
The MoU entails establishing the first creative studio in the region, which will provide content creators with full-range services to develop and launch high-impact campaigns on the global social platform, in addition to hosting advanced workshops and masterclasses to upskill local talent and add value to Qatar’s emerging digital ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the Qatar Financial Centre signed two MOUs with each of Bahrain FinTech Bay and the University of Doha for Science and Technology. The agreements also included an MOU between Hayya and SkipCash, and a partnership between the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council and Alchemist Doha. Ooredoo also forged two partnerships with each of DataDirect Networks and Zscaler, while Malomatia and Sprinklr also signed an MoU, in addition to an agreement between Gem Space and C Wallet Services.
Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, GCO Director and Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 Organising Committee, said that since its first day, the summit has set many feats and records, noting that with such a strong regional debut, the event is already on its way to become an exceptional platform toward achieving the nation’s vision for the advancement of tech, creativity and innovation within and beyond its borders.
The GCO Director also pointed out that Qatar is showcasing its capacity as an ideal launchpad for entrepreneurs, startups and investors to bring their visions to fruition and establish their footprint within the wider region, thanks to Qatar’s adoption of digital best practices and keeping pace with digital transformation, all of which play a key role in realising the country’s Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.
Meanwhile, Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher praised Qatar’s commitment to making its inaugural edition a resounding success by linking its various events, topics and activities to real-world challenges, solutions and use cases, in tandem with its ongoing investment in the tech ecosystem. Maher said that this was also evident in the opening remarks of HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, who announced the launch of a comprehensive investment package to further boost entrepreneurship and support innovation in Qatar and beyond.
“The government of Qatar was so deeply committed to making this a success and so deeply committed to not just hosting an event, but pairing it with policy and investment commitments that are about expanding the ecosystem,” Maher said.
She added: “Startup Qatar and Invest Qatar have a stage that is all about access to the infrastructure and support that a startup would need to walk in tomorrow and get set up, whether you’re moving your startup here or whether you’re founding a startup here. And so, seeing that commitment to the ecosystem is actually fundamental for us.”
At a press conference held with Replit’s CEO Amjad Masad, the globally rising entrepreneur talked about his AI company’s origin and vision, highlighting that the application’s user base has exceeded 30 million worldwide.
Masad underscored the opportunity that Web Summit Qatar 2024 offers entrepreneurs and startups from around the world to navigate growth, partnership and networking opportunities, while leveraging its unparalleled access to the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
The summit’s third day hosted a series of panel discussions and speakers’ sessions led by high-profile officials, tech specialists and industry experts from Qatar, the region and the world.
Speakers included Director of the Digital Society and Digital Competencies at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Duha Al Buhendi, CEO of Qatar Stars League Hani Ballan, Executive Director of the Generation Amazing Foundation Nasser Al Khori, Founder and CEO of Snoonu Hamad Al Hajri, Project Management Director at the Ministry of Labour Muneera Al Shriem, Assistant Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Science and Engineering Dr Saif Al Kuwari and Qatari Athletes Lulwa Al Marri and Mariam Farid.
Some household names and brands in the tech world were involved in the third day’s sessions to discuss their latest innovations in technology and trending industry topics, including Meta, Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Snapchat and Shell.
With one day to go, the event continues to garner worldwide interest across channels and platforms, with over 900 tech journalists and media representatives covering the summit. So far, over 15,453 people from 118 countries have attended the summit to engage with the innovations of 1,043 startups hailing from 81 countries, half of which are from the MENA region and 10 percent from Qatar. The participants include 401 investors, 148 partners and 380 speakers.
Hosting Web Summit comes in line with the Third National Development Strategy, which aims to launch initiatives to boost the country’s tech and business ecosystems, incentivise innovation and boost ICT capacity-building toward supporting economic diversification and achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Interested parties can view the Web Summit Qatar 2024 agenda, speakers list and key discussion topics at: https://qatar.websummit.com.