Several initiatives are expected during the Web Summit in Qatar (Al Jazeera)

Tomorrow, Monday, the “Web Summit 2024” activities, hosted by the State of Qatar, will begin for 4 days for the first time in the Middle East and Africa.

It is the largest technical gathering held annually, and it receives thousands of partners, investors, leaders and technology sector experts from all over the world.

Over the course of 5 years, starting from the current year 2024, Qatar will host 5 successive editions of the Web Summit, as part of its endeavor to become a major technology destination that provides its services to various regions, including the Middle East, Africa, and India.

Speaking at the summit will be the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Queen Rania Al Abdullah, wife of King Abdullah bin Al Hussein of Jordan.

The summit in Doha will take advantage of its location and advanced infrastructure to enhance communication between innovators, investors and technology leaders from around the world.

Qatar revealed huge participation in the summit activities (Al Jazeera)

Unique platform

The Qatar Web Summit provides a unique platform for leading innovators, investors and entrepreneurs to communicate, collaborate and drive technological progress, in addition to focusing on promoting meaningful dialogue and exploring advanced solutions. This event also provides an opportunity to participate in building the future of technology.

It is expected that many new initiatives will be announced during the summit that aim to develop the technological business environment in the State of Qatar and open new horizons to attract international companies wishing to expand in the region in this sector.

An elite group of the most prominent figures, innovators, creators, and officials from around the world will participate in the summit, including representatives of companies: Amazon, Meta, Google, Shell, Huawei, Snap, TikTok, and Web.

In addition to the participation of a number of owners and founders of startup companies, such as Rebelite, which specializes in the field of software development, which reflects the position that the State of Qatar has gained in the region and the world, and the confidence placed by leaders of the technology and digital solutions sector around the world in registering their presence and active participation.

The Web Summit witnesses the largest technical gathering in the world (Al Jazeera)

high demand

It is expected that this edition of the Web Summit will enjoy a wide participation in its activities, as all ticket categories were sold out a week before its launch.

The summit organizers announced more than two weeks ago the completion of the sale of tickets for the partner and startup programs.

The number of entrepreneurs, investors and technology sector leaders from Qatar, the region and the world registered to attend the event exceeded many times the expected number of attendees.

As for startups, thousands of them applied to participate in the summit activities, and the event organizers selected 1,100 startups from more than 80 countries, including dozens of startups from the State of Qatar, in addition to the United States of America, Egypt, Brazil, Italy, and Nigeria. , the United Kingdom, and India.

More than 7,500 participants will attend this important event in Doha, including 300 investors and 600 startups. The summit represents an opportunity to participate in seminars and provide opportunities for new companies, experts, technology pioneers, investors, and all those interested in the future of web technology.

Tickets for #WebSummitQatar 2024 are sold out.


We look forward to welcoming participants to the largest technology event in the world, for the first time in the region. @websummitqatar pic.twitter.com/bfz3BPesiL

— Government Communications Office (@GCOQatar) February 20, 2024

Annual meeting

The Web Summit is the most important annual forum for the technology sector in the world, and brings together entrepreneurs, investors, startups, and experts in the field of technology.

The "Qatar Web Summit" activities are held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, and the selection of the State of Qatar to host this global event for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa confirms the progress the country is making in this field.

Doha hosts the first Google Cloud Services Center in the Middle East and North Africa region, as part of Qatar's efforts to transform into a digital economy and provide opportunities for investors.

In partnership with Microsoft, it also launched the first large-scale cloud data center region, which enhances the growth of the local economy and supports the country’s efforts to diversify its economy, develop competencies, and attract foreign investments.

The State of Qatar will host the “Web Summit” events for the first time in the Middle East and Africa on February 26 #Qatar_TV pic.twitter.com/NFfFhZja09

- Qatar TV (@QatarTelevision) February 20, 2024

Establishment of the summit

The Web Summit was founded in 2009 by Irish businessman Paddy Cosgrave and British businessman David Kelly. The summit was held in Dublin, Ireland, until 2016, and then moved permanently to Lisbon, Portugal.

The Web Summit runs annual events around the world that focus on technology issues and contribute to providing effective solutions, as well as being a meeting place for specialists in this field from all countries of the world.

Preparations have been completed for the launch of #QatarWebSummit 2024 next Monday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

The first edition of the summit in the Middle East and Africa is receiving wide global attention, as the number of participants has exceeded double the expected attendance.

pic.twitter.com/QRw0Z6sDjZ

- Government Communications Office (@GCOQatar) February 22, 2024

Copies outside Europe

The State of Qatar will host the first Middle Eastern edition of the Web Summit this February and for the next 5 editions, with the aim of involving the Middle East region in the most pressing technical issues in the world today.

The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro also hosted the “Web Summit” last May, which is the first non-European version of the summit, and attracted about 20,000 participants, while municipal estimates indicated that the conference generated approximately 1.2 billion Brazilian riyals, or about $240 million, on the city’s economy over the next six years.

The Qatari and Brazilian versions will not be an alternative to the version held in the Portuguese capital Lisbon annually, as versions of the summit will be held in Doha and Rio de Janeiro until 2028.

Source: Al Jazeera + Qatari press