The four-day event is set to boost connections between regional and global innovators and influencers through discussions and panels.
Major tech conference Web Summit is kicking off on Monday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) after a long wait and preparations by local authorities to bring the event to life.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani is scheduled to speak on the opening night.
Other speakers listed on the same night include globally renowned comedian Trevor Noah and Katherine Maher, the CEO of Web Summit.
Running until Thursday, the mega event, the first to take place in the Middle East, is set to gather more than 12,000 participants, 500 investors, 200 speakers, and more than 1,000 startups from 80 countries.
The tickets for the event sold out last week as partner and startup programme passes reached full capacity.
Speaking at a press conference in Doha last week, Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 Organising Committee, said Doha saw “the largest number of participating startups.”
Some of the most prominent companies and agencies showcasing at Web Summit include Amazon, Meta, Shell, Huawei, Snapchat, and TikTok. Qatari entities, from the Qatar Investment Authority to Snoonu, will also have a unique presence.
The four-day event is set to boost connections between regional and global innovators and influencers through discussions and panels, covering business issues, programming, and investment among others.
The Qatari Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) will be taking part in the event, where it will organise three masterclasses. The MICT, in collaboration with UNESCO, is also scheduled to host the ‘Explore UNESCO’s internet universality access indicators: ROAM-X’ masterclass.
He will also discuss the next five years of Qatar’s digital innovation plan.
Hosting the Web Summit falls under Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy which aims to enhance Qatar’s tech ecosystem.