Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Open the Web Summit Qatar 2024

Doha, February 26 (QNA) - HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani opened the Web Summit Qatar 2024, the world's biggest event in the technology sector, which started Monday and scheduled to run through Feb. 29 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

The opening was attended by a number of Their Excellencies ministers, senior state officials, executives of local and international companies, guests of the country and representatives of exhibiting companies, in addition to thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and leaders of the technology sector in the world.

Addressing the opening ceremony, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the Web Summit represents a new episode to the series of achievements of Qatar and the region as a whole, after hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Formula 1, and the Expo 2023 Doha. This is the first edition of the Summit to be held in the Middle East, His Excellency said, pointing that it will be hosted by the State of Qatar for five years.

His Excellency announced that the state has allocated $1 billion worth of investments to support emerging companies in Qatar and the world, within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030 to develop a competitive and diversified economy that ensures the quality of life for its people.

His Excellency added that the world stands on the threshold of a new era, not only in terms of technological progress, but also with regard to human achievements, pointing out that digital technologies are converging for the first time to achieve tangible developments, by harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence and other fields of technology.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that with the world becoming more interconnected, it has finally become possible for advanced technologies to be available to everyone, and not a special privilege. As emerging technologies continue to open new doors, it must be recognized that innovation is not just about creating new tools, it is about reimagining the possibilities that can be achieved using those tools, he stressed.

In his speech at the summit, His Excellency underscored ensuring that technological progress serves the benefit of humanity, and achieving a balance between development and values. He stressed that innovation in itself is not the goal, but rather a means to achieve an end.

His Excellency said that the Qatar Web Summit 2024 is a milestone in the journey of technological development in country, stressing that over the past two decades, the State of Qatar has spared no effort or resources to become a key platform for innovation, creativity and advancing human potential, and has also witnessed tremendous development in all sectors, adding that the use of technology aims to improve everyone's lives and build a more interconnected society.

His Excellency explained that the State of Qatar possesses huge investments in digital infrastructure, free zones, and business incubator programs that provide unparalleled advantages to entrepreneurs and investors, affirming that the State of Qatar is the ideal home to host the Web Summit, with its $8.5 trillion GDP, six-hour flight distance from 80 percent of the world's population, and its leading status in the field of entrepreneurship in the Middle East.

Concluding his speech, HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani referred to the Investment Promotion Agency's recent launch of the "Start from Qatar" initiative, which is a comprehensive platform that provides emerging companies with the possibility of benefiting from financing services, business incubator programs and government support.

For her part, February 26 (QNA) - For her part, CEO of the Web Summit Katherine Maher affirmed the summit's message as a platform for innovation bringing together entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders from around the world. She noted that the Web Summit in Qatar witnessed the largest participation of its kind for startups in the inaugural edition in the history of the global event.

Maher pointed out the presence of participants from 118 countries, with about 200 African startups participating in the summit, a record number in the history of the Web Summit. Additionally, more than 400 investors, including some of the largest investment funds in the world, took part.

Maher emphasized an unprecedented level of interaction on the summit's dedicated application, with thousands of people engaging with each other weeks before the summit's launch. There was also significant interest from startups, expressing hopes that the summit would lead to collaboration among participating companies and result in innovative solutions for the future of humanity.

The summit kicked off with panel discussions featuring entrepreneurs from Qatar, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, including CEO of Replit Amjad Masad, and comedian and talk show host Trevor Noah.

The first day of the event, the evening summit held at the Baraha Msheireb (the largest open square in the heart of Msheireb City in Doha), witnessed vibrant networking and interaction among participants in a modern environment.

The summit's agenda, which concludes Thursday, includes numerous panel discussions, workshops, educational sessions, competitions, and a wide range of activities enabling all participants to connect with technology leaders from around the world, such as Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Amazon, Shell, Huawei, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and others.

The summit also witnesses the signing of several memoranda of understanding with major technology and content industry companies worldwide, aiming to enhance Qatar's position as a leading hub for technology and content industry in the region, and to showcase Qatar's national identity on the global stage.

More than 12,000 participants, over 1,000 startups from 80 countries, including 100 Qatari startups, over 500 investors, 200 speakers, and more than 100 partners are participating in the summit, in addition to extensive media coverage with representatives from 500 media entities worldwide.

There are a number of Qatari startups participating in the summit that come from different sectors such as healthcare tech, e-commerce, Artificial Intelligence, Hospitality, EdTech, among other sectors.

This edition of the Web Summit is characterized by an increase in the percentage of women-founded companies to over 30 percent of the total number of startups participating in the summit. The women in technology sector program organized by the summit this year attracted notable attendance from Qatar, the Middle East, and around the world.

The Qatari partners in the first edition of the Web Summit in the Middle East and Africa include the Qatar Investment Authority, the Media City, Qatar Science and Technology Park, Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar, Qatar Development Bank, and Ooredoo.

Hosting the Web Summit is part of Qatar's efforts to achieve the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030, the final phase towards realizing Qatar's National Vision 2030, aiming to launch initiatives to enhance the technological environment in the country, stimulate innovation, and enhance capacity building in this sector to support economic diversification.

Interested individuals can access the summit's agenda, speakers list, panel discussions, and key issues and discussions during the event by visiting the official website: https://qatar.websummit.com. (QNA)