Qatar to host Web Summit for first time in MENA region next year

Web Summit’s co-founder Paddy Cosgrave during the inauguration of Web Summit, Europe’s biggest tech conference, in Portugal, on Nov. 6, 2017. (Reuters/File)

• Ministry of Communications and Information Technology says event will bring together thousands of international entrepreneurs, investors, and the next generation of leaders
• ‘The event will help capitalize on world-class facilities and infrastructure, facilitate travel, and achieve strong economic growth,’ communications minister claims

DOHA: Qatar will host Web Summit, billed as the world’s largest technology conference in March 2024, according to the Qatar News Agency. It will be the first time the event has been staged in the MENA region.
Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology said in a statement issued Thursday that Web Summit Qatar will bring together “thousands of international entrepreneurs, investors, and the next generation of leaders who are reshaping the world.”
The ministry added that WSQ will provide new opportunities, over the next five years, to connect the tech world in growing ecosystems across the Middle East, Africa and India, in addition to its established presence in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.
Mohamed bin Ali Al-Mannai, Qatar’s minister of communications and information technology, said: “Qatar looks forward to hosting thousands of innovative and future-shaping leaders and thinkers at WSQ.”
Attendees will be able to meet peers, explore avenues for growing their businesses, and experience Qatari culture, said the minister.
“The event will help capitalize on world-class facilities and infrastructure, facilitate travel, and achieve strong economic growth,” added Al-Mannai.
Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave said: “WSQ will help connect a new generation of founders in the Middle East to investors, journalists, customers, partners and more around the world and represents a new opportunity for Web Summit to convene technology’s leaders and to develop an already fast-growing tech scene.”
Qatar has a rapidly expanding technology ecosystem and start-up scene, with significant private-sector and government support for technology innovation.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2021, Qatar ranks 28th globally for its capacity for innovation, outpacing other countries in the region. The country also invests heavily in technology infrastructure, focusing on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cybersecurity.