Internet company Yahoo! has entered into a framework agreement with local communication and technology regulator ictQatar to develop what they term a “digital media and content ecosystem” in the country.

Although tangible details are still scarce, the main aim of the agreement is to foster small and medium digital content businesses in Qatar. Yahoo! would in essence be lending its vast resources to local start-ups it sees potential in, in conjunction with ictQatar’s digital content incubator.

“We have the scale and the advertising to make these startups commercially viable,” Yahoo! Senior Vice President Rich Riley said during a media discussion at the W Doha Hotel this afternoon.  He added more details of the specific agreements would be released during the coming days. 

For its part, ictQatar says it wants to develop Arabic content, and sees Yahoo! as an important partner to accomplish that.

“We look forward to working with Yahoo! as a strategic partner to make Qatar a hub for leading digital content in the region, and creating an entrepreneurial spirit among our local talent in the industry,” Ali Al-Khulaifi, ictQatar’s ICT Market Development Manager said in a press release.

Credit: Photo by Niall Kennedy