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

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

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. 

Source: QNA