Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest digital economy gatherings.
Held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, the event brings together over 1,600 startups and nearly 1,000 investors from 127 countries. Attendance has doubled in two years, underscoring how Web Summit Qatar is emerging as a key meeting point connecting the Middle East with the wider global tech ecosystem.
Across the week, discussions will range from artificial intelligence and quantum technologies to tech geopolitics, climate solutions and the creator economy, as global uncertainty heightens the political and economic stakes of technological leadership.
Qatar is using Web Summit to reinforce a broader national strategy: positioning itself as a regional connector at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Global South. The country has spent the past decade expanding its influence beyond energy and mediation, using major global events to showcase its ambitions in innovation, investment and diplomacy. This is part of a deliberate effort to brand Doha as a hub where technology, politics and business intersect, a positioning similar to Azerbaijan’s recent push to leverage high-profile international gatherings to strengthen its global footprint.
Speakers include Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht, IBM Chief Impact Officer Justina Nixon-Saintil, Twitch creator Hasan Piker, Moroccan Minister of Digital Transition Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni and senior executives from global companies including Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft. More than 840 international journalists are covering the event.
Working towards a diverse technology ecosystem
Germany opened its largest pavilion yet, bringing over 200 startups, investors and policymakers. “Doha today is the place to be,” Christoph Ahlhaus of the German Mittelstand said, calling cooperation between Germany and Qatar in new technology sectors “a real win-win situation.” The pavilion is focused on AI, cybersecurity, industrial innovation and deep tech.
Major global firms including TikTok, Google Cloud, IBM, Figma, Amazon and Snapchat have set up interactive booths showcasing tools and applications in areas such as AI, robotics and cloud technology. Qatar-based companies, including Qatar Airways, Ooredoo, talabat, Snoonu, PayLater and QSTP, are also presenting products and services, reflecting the country’s efforts to develop a more diversified technology ecosystem.
The summit’s 14 thematic tracks address issues shaping global innovation, including AI governance, clean energy transitions, digital regulation, robotics, health technology and the future of sport. Dedicated spaces for investors, start-ups, mentors and women in tech are intended to encourage partnerships and commercial activity.
Night Summit events and large networking zones are expected to facilitate thousands of meetings between founders and investors, as organisers seek to position Doha as a gateway for companies looking to expand across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
As the summit gets under way, technology is being framed not only as an economic driver, but as an increasingly central factor in geopolitical competition and political influence, with implications for global power and leadership.
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More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
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FindinFinding a job is becoming increasingly difficult for many young people in China, with some now turning to unusual methods, including dating apps, to improve their chances of employment.
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