Web Summit Qatar 2024 culminates in inking 24 MoUs between Qatari institutions, global technology firms

Among the memorandums of understanding that were concluded were a memorandum of understanding between QN Bank and the Web Summit to announce the banks sponsorship of the summit over the next four years, and another between Qatar Development Bank and Ooredoo, among others Hosting the Web Summit comes within the efforts of the State of Qatar to achieve the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030, the final stage towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030, and aims to launch initiatives to enhance the technological ecosystem in the country, stimulate innovation, and build competencies in this sector in order to support Economic diversification in the country.
With the curtains closed on Dohas inaugural edition, the event has now set several feats and records. Over four days, the summit hosted 15,453 attendees from 118 countries, who witnessed the tech innovations of 1,043 from 81 countries, 10 percent of which came from Qatar and 20 percent from Africa. The international audience the event drew featured 401 investors, 148 partners and 380 speakers, 30 percent of which were women. A total of 37 percent of attendees were women, in addition to 31 percent of the startups being founded by women. The record-breaking event continued to garner worldwide attention across channels and platforms, with around 900 tech journalists and media representatives covering the summit.
Commenting on this occasion, Director of the Government Communications Office (GCO) and Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 Organizing Committee HE Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al-Thani, said: "We are proud of Qatars achievements across all domains. The exceptional organization of such a celebrated global event and the huge turnout we have recorded for a first-year edition showcases our countrys capacity to further its role as a leading destination for technology and innovation in the region and in launching initiatives that advance the digital and IT sector in Qatar and beyond." He added: "Throughout its four-day run, we worked tirelessly to bring to our international audience a distinguished lineup of sessions, activities and engagements that build on Qatars track record of hosting global major events. As the summits inaugural edition in the region, we were excited to welcome thousands of startups, investors, and tech leaders, while opening doors to networking and growth opportunities for young and aspiring entrepreneurs in Qatar and the region. With AI and other emerging technologies and business development trends dominating discussions at the summit, the event has instantly proven its ability to serve as a platform that effectively contributes to Qatars digital transformation and accelerate the establishment of a knowledge-based economy." For his part, HE Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai discussed the latest developments in this domain and gave the audience an overview of the Digital Agenda 2030, which was launched by during the Web Summit week. His Excellency said that the Digital Agenda 2030 supports digital transformation in various sectors, noting that it outlines a comprehensive digital transformation plan for the State of Qatar, which has great potential and plans to adopt green and clean technology, noting the importance of its role in promoting the knowledge-based digital economy and supporting digital transformation in various sectors.
His Excellency stressed the importance of the role of the Digital Agenda 2030 in pushing the State of Qatar towards being a global technology center that adopts the latest digital technologies, including 5G networks, artificial intelligence, digital twinning, cloud computing, and big data in order to achieve the goals of its National Vision 2030 and its strategy. For national development, to develop a knowledge-based digital economy that is diverse and competitive, encourages the role of the private sector, and relies on innovation and entrepreneurship.
For her part, Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher highlighted the events record-breaking numbers in terms of attendance and participation of tech companies and startup, which all came to the fore against the backdrop of Qatars renowned hospitality. She added that she looks forward to come back to Qatar year after year. She said that she expects that the next editions of the summit in Qatar would witness a larger attendance and other record numbers in the number of startup companies from around the world, which will undoubtedly contribute to the remarkable development in the technological business environment in Qatar and the region as a whole.
The closing day of the summit witnessed the announcement of the winner of the Best Startup Award participating in the Qatar Web Summit 2024, which is the largest award of its kind in the technology sector in the world. It was won by Breshna IO, which aims to enable users to create and share their own video games. And monetize it without the need for prior knowledge of programming or game design.
The inaugural edition of the Web Summit hosted by Qatar until 2028, recorded the largest gathering of startups in the Middle East, with1,043 startups from 81 countries participating, Qatari companies with 104 startups, constituting 10 percent. in an endeavor to invest in this opportunity in forging partnerships, communicating with investors, and sharing knowledge and experiences with international companies.