Catherine Maher confirms that tickets for the summit are completely sold out (Getty)

Doha -

As the largest ever gathering of startups in the Middle East, the Qatar Web Summit 2024 continues to break records with an exceptional attendance of more than 15,453 participants from 118 countries.

The Qatar Web Summit is a historic event that opens new horizons for innovation and cooperation in the Middle East region, and contributes to advancing economic development in the region. This edition of the Web Summit enjoys wide demand for its activities, as all ticket categories were sold out a week before its launch.

The CEO of the Web Summit, Ms. Catherine Maher, confirmed that tickets for the summit were completely sold out, noting in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that the Web Summit in Qatar is considered a historic event that brings together an elite group of investors, speakers, startups, and partners under one roof.

Maher revealed the latest numbers recorded by the Web Summit by hosting 401 investors, 380 speakers, and 148 partners presenting in the exhibition hall, including international companies such as Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and Google.

Maher confirmed that women constituted 37% of the participants in the summit (Getty)

Women's participation

Regarding women’s participation, the CEO of the Web Summit stated that women constituted 37% of the summit’s participants, whether as attendees or speakers, while 31% of the participating startups were founded by women.

The list of participants in the summit includes so-called “influential startups” that focus on improving lives through technological advancement in the field of healthcare and sustainable technologies.

The Web Summit witnesses the participation of 358 startup companies distributed over 42 sessions, each of which showcases the latest developments of companies in the world of technology, in addition to displaying experiences and skills and creating a rich environment of communication between leading entrepreneurs in the field.

Maher revealed that 1,043 startup companies from 81 countries were selected to present their projects to the audience, 10% of which were from Qatar, 20% from Africa, and 50% from the Middle East and North Africa region, and this indicates that the Web Summit in Qatar was able to embrace everyone in the East. Middle East, to be the largest ever gathering of startups in the Middle East.

10% of startups were able to join the Web Summit (Al Jazeera)

New program

In a precedent not witnessed in previous web summits, 10% of startups were able to join the summit through the “Impact” Beach program of the Qatar Web Summit, which focuses on technology for good, according to Catherine Maher, who confirmed that the topic Artificial intelligence dominates the forum's headlines this year, and is considered a fundamental pillar in the hoped-for technological development.

The summit will witness the Web Summit Qatar Pitch Competition, powered by Jusoor, which brings together the world's top emerging entrepreneurs to compete head-to-head on stage in front of world-famous investors.

The attendance of 401 investors from 46 countries and some of the largest investment funds in the world aims to explore investment opportunities in one of the fastest growing markets in the world, and meet the new generation of emerging companies.

148 partners are on display in the Qatar Web Summit exhibition hall to explore business opportunities in the region, and to meet emerging companies and promising technologies that will emerge in the future.

Trade delegations from countries including Canada, Turkey, Bahrain, Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya are attending the Qatar Web Summit to explore job opportunities in the Middle East, as the summit witnesses the most important developments and gains in the communications and information technology sector in the world, where the focus is on its role in promoting the knowledge-based digital economy. And supporting digital transformation in the Middle East and the world.

Source: Al Jazeera