Lisbon: The State of Qatar has successfully concluded its participation in the Web Summit Lisbon 2025, after attracting a large number of visitors and participants to its pavilion.
The pavilion served as a remarkable interactive platform, showcasing promising investment opportunities in the country and its efforts to foster an environment of innovation and support startups.
The Qatari pavilion at the summit significantly drew attention of investors; entrepreneurs; and technology experts, with over 4,000 visitors recorded during the event. These visitors learned about national initiatives aimed at developing the digital economy and the incubator and accelerator programs led by entities dedicated to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
The pavilion also received extensive media coverage from international outlets, which highlighted the development of Qatar's technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem and its growing position as a regional innovation hub.
Minister of Labour, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri visited the Qatari pavilion to learn about the key aspects of Qatar's participation in the global event. He was briefed on the most prominent national initiatives that highlight the State of Qatar's efforts in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and attracting foreign investment.
Director of the Government Communications Office, Chairman of the Standing Committee for Hosting the Web Summit, and Head of the Official Delegation participating in the Summit, Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al-Thani said: "The State of Qatar's participation in the Web Summit in Lisbon underscores its firm commitment to strengthening its presence at the world's leading technology and innovation events. It also showcases the country's strengths that make it an attractive environment for high-quality business and investment. Furthermore, this participation provides an opportunity to learn firsthand about leading international experiences in this field, which supports Doha's readiness to host an exceptional edition of the Summit in early February."
"The summit provided an ideal opportunity to strengthen partnerships with leading international institutions in the fields of technology and entrepreneurship, and to exchange expertise on the latest trends in the digital economy. The meetings held by the Qatari delegation with international investors and experts will undoubtedly broaden the horizons of cooperation in the coming phase," His Excellency added.
The State of Qatar's pavilion showcased its most prominent national initiatives, foremost among them the "Start in Qatar" program, launched last year by the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar. This program is part of efforts to empower local talent and attract global expertise. The pavilion also presented inspiring success stories of startups that chose Doha as their base of operations, drawn by the country's stimulating and supportive business environment.
During the summit, the "Start in Qatar" program attracted nearly 300 applications from startups seeking to join. Additionally, approximately 100 companies expressed their desire to register with the Qatar Financial Centre and join the country's growing investment ecosystem, reflecting the attractiveness of Qatar's economic environment and its ability to attract talent and entrepreneurs from around the world.
Programs such as "Tasmu Accelerator," the digital initiative launched by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to stimulate innovation and accelerate the growth of startups, have garnered increasing attention from global companies. The Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRIDIC) also participated in the summit, showcasing its initiatives in supporting research projects and technological innovation, and exploring future collaboration opportunities with participating international institutions.
The Qatari delegation to the summit comprised 17 governmental and semi-governmental entities, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Qatar Investment Authority, the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar, the Qatar Financial Centre, Qatar Development Bank, Qatar Free Zones Authority, Qatar Media City, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and several Qatari startups.
Director of the Digital Society and Digital Competencies Department at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Vice Chair of the Standing Committee for Hosting the Web Summit, Duha Ali Al Buhendi stated: "The Ministry's participation with our partners in the ‘Start in Qatar' pavilion aims to enhance the country's position as a global hub for technology and innovation. This is achieved by highlighting programs focused on empowering entrepreneurs in the digital field, building partnerships that contribute to shaping the future of technology in the region, and helping our national ecosystem access global markets. We also seek to attract innovative technology companies to participate in Web Summit Qatar."
For his part, Chief Marketing and Corporate Communications Officer at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Yousef Fakhroo expressed his delight at participating in Web Summit Lisbon and the significant engagement witnessed at the Qatar pavilion from visitors and startups. He noted the growing interest in the opportunities available in the Qatari market, explaining that the previous edition of Web Summit Qatar saw over 600 companies register with the QFC, and he expressed his anticipation of even greater numbers in the upcoming edition.
Meanwhile, Director of Business Incubators and Accelerators at Qatar Development Bank, Mubarak Khalifa Al Hitmi said: "Our participation in the summit reflects our firm commitment to supporting this national initiative, which aims to attract technology startups by providing a comprehensive package of financing solutions, incentive programs, and other support services necessary for growth and prosperity. We are delighted to have three of the bank's supported startups participating with us in this pavilion, highlighting their successful entrepreneurial experiences."
Founding CEO of Snoonu - the first Qatari technology startup to exceed a valuation of one billion riyals -, Hamad Mubarak Al Hajri confirmed that the company's participation in the Qatari delegation aims to promote advanced Qatari technologies and showcase the country's ability to develop leading technological solutions. He noted that Snoonu is preparing to unveil new technologies that will be showcased for the first time in the Middle East during Web Summit Qatar 2026.
Qatar's participation with an official delegation for the third consecutive year at Web Summit Lisbon 2025, which was attended by more than 71,000 people from around the world, is part of the ongoing preparations to host the third edition of Web Summit Qatar in Doha from February 1st to 4th, the largest technology event in the region.
