Doha: Minister of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Innovation of Canada H E Evan Solomon revealed future prospects for enhancing cooperation between Canada and the State of Qatar in the fields of innovation, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, particularly as both sides prepare to sign a memorandum of understanding before the end of the year aimed at strengthening the digital partnership between the two countries.
In an interview with QNA on the occasion of his current visit to Doha, His Excellency said the visit is an important opportunity to build on the long-standing relations between the two countries, spanning more than 50 years, and to create new partnerships in vital areas such as innovation and AI, especially since Qatar is currently considered a major regional centre for investment and attracting specialised projects in this field.
He described the relations between Canada and Qatar as strong, built on decades of mutual respect and cooperation. Both sides expressed a desire to build on the achievements of the past 50 years and further develop these relations.
He pointed out that the new Canadian government has new strategies, the most important of which is building stronger relations with countries in the region, including Qatar, which is a major regional hub for trade, investment, and vital digital projects. He added that there are multiple areas of cooperation between Qatar and Canada, and promising opportunities in AI, information technology, digital innovation, telecoms, health, agriculture, cybersecurity, and other important sectors.
He said there is an urgent need in today’s world to diversify trade partnerships and not limit them to traditional areas, especially since Canada has a large number of free trade agreements in the world, adding that it is very important to continue expanding relations with Qatar. He stated that the near future will witness a greater Canadian presence in Qatar through qualitative partnerships and projects focused on innovation, technology, and digital transformation, noting the importance of intensifying bilateral meetings to build more sustainable relations.
The Canadian Minister explained to QNA the great potential of the two countries to create major partnerships in the field of AI and digital innovation, driven primarily by the existing cooperation in these areas, especially with the presence of several Canadian companies in Qatar working in this field, including Cohere, a Canadian multinational technology company focused on AI. It is one of only four countries in the world that have large language models companies such as ChatGPT and Anthropic. Cohere is working on a model in Arabic and is cooperating in the region with partners to provide safe and secure solutions, along with BlackBerry, a globally known company in the field of cybersecurity.
