The Web Summit Qatar @Doha, Qatar-February 26 – 29,2024

By Sally Warburton

For the first time, the Web Summit was held in Doha, Qatar. The gem of the Middle East. A beautiful setting of palm trees and warm weather for a wonderful Web Summit… The sold out Web Summit Qatar started with the Opening Ceremonies at DECC (The Doha Exhibition and Convention Center) located in West Bay, the heart of Doha’sbusiness district with its very modern subway train system at its doorstep! #WebSummitQatar’s stunning opening ceremony with special guests – Katherine Maher, CEO, Web Summit on Centre Stage during the Opening Night of Web Summit. Also on opening night were well-loved comedian and author Trevor Noah, Replit co-founder and CEO Amjad Masad, and the State of Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the State of Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed the Centre Stage audience on Opening Night.

Web Summit, the world’s largest technology conference, announced that the inaugural edition of its Middle Eastern event, Web Summit Qatar, hosted 15,453 attendees from 118 countries. There were 1,043 startups – the largest gathering of startups ever in the Middle East. 401 investors and 380 speakers. 148 partners exhibited on the event floor, including Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, Snoonu.

As with Web Summit in Lisbon and Collision in Toronto (and assuming The Web Summit Rio!) there were inspiring talks by AI developers, TV stars, and sports athletes among others. All tech topics were explored. Daily schedule of speakers, pitches, Press Conferences. Lots of opportunities to speak with Startups at their stand-up booths promoting their businesses. Connecting with attendees by scanning the QR codes on lanyards was an amazing way to connect and keep in contact. Many different stages and areas for different themes throughout the venue. Topics included AI technology, music, health care, transforming communication, VC Investment, cybersecurity, Fostering female leadership, the digital future, esports, export & trade, social media, robotics, data & analytics and more. Women in Tech area was very popular.

Major Speakers included HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majid Al Saud and A special address by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan.

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Some highlights – BxT.ai releases the final beta of Penelope – an AI-based trading platform. MammoCheck – an at-home breast cancer screening service – announced its pre-seed round of investment, with the company targeting market entry by 2025. Cyberwize offered exclusive early access to its cyber risk management platform. Go Platform unveiled its AI-powered anti-cheat system.

US-based gaming company Breshna won PITCH, powered by Jusour. The no-code game development platform impressed the judges, seeing off competition from Uzbekistan and the UK on the final day. Congratulations to the company Breshna!

All attendees were invited to the ‘Night Summits’ to discover different locations in Doha and to connect with other attendees from across the globe. First night at Barahat Msheireb from the Arabic ‘Al Baraha’, translates to ‘a space for socializing and networking’ – the perfect place for meaningful connections. Tuesday at Mina District – Doha’s Old Port and finally, Wednesday at B12 Beach Club, West Bay Neighbourhood. A beautiful, relaxing location. A great way to network while being immersed in Qatar’s heritage and culture. Attendees enjoyed all Qatar had to offer with its hospitality and impressive venues and beautiful, sunny weather. The preparation, organization, communication and in person assistance by the Web Summit Staff and by the DECC event venue staff were excellent. The first year of The Web Summit Qatar was an amazing success for all. Congratulations on such success! A beautiful setting in the Middle East. We look forward to The Web Summit Qatar 2025!