The previous summit generated approximately QAR 807m (around $221.4m) in economic returns in Qatar, according to a report by global consulting firm Silverlode.
Web Summit Qatar is set to return in its third edition from February 1-4 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) with the record attendance of more than 30,000 people from 124 countries.
The event, the region’s fastest-growing tech event, is gathering more than 1,600 startups, more than 800 investors. One of the event’s main missions has been to establish meaningful connections between all attendees, from CEOs, investors, media, to politicians.
The latest edition will feature more than 400 speakers from Qatar and beyond, including CEOs and technology experts with the opportunity for individuals to pitch their startups at the pitching area.
“They [previous editions] drew record participation from startups, investors and experts from around the world, and highlighted Qatar’s advanced infrastructure, technological capabilities and organisational excellence,” Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office (GCO), said in a statement on October 3, 2025.
The Web Summit was initially founded in Dublin by Paddy Cosgrave and started as a 150-person tech conference in October 2009.
It then evolved into a key platform for startups and required more capacity, prompting Cosgrave to move it to Lisbon in 2016. Web Summit then signed an agreement with Portugal’s government in 2018 to hold the event in Lisbon for 10 years.
Web Summit then expanded to Web Summit Rio in South America, Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East, Web Summit Vancouver in North America, and RISE in Asia.
The first Web Summit Qatar took place in 2024 and saw 15,000 attendees.
A key highlight at the time was the announcement by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of a $1bn (about QAR 3.6bn) Qatar Investment Authority investment.
The investment targeted international and regional venture capital funds.
The previous summit generated approximately QAR 807m (around $221.4m) in economic returns in Qatar, according to a report by global consulting firm Silverlode.
The total visitor spending surpassed QAR 303m (around $83.1m) with an average daily spend of QAR 2,294 (around $629) per person within an average of six days.
The event last year also significantly contributed to Qatar’s hospitality and aviation sectors with 66,000 hotel nights and more than 19,000 airline tickets booked.
Addressing a large crowd of officials, CEOs and leading figures from Doha and beyond at last year’s summit, Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the importance of the event, describing it as “a platform where innovation meets opportunities”.
“Being a small state like Qatar is similar to being a startup in this exciting digital age, where an entrepreneur with a brilliant idea can change the world,” Sheikh Mohammed said on February 23, 2025.
“That’s why, at the state level, we are focusing on helping startups, because they embody the spirit of Qatar,” he added.
