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Doha, Qatar: The world’s largest tech event’s debut in the Middle East and Africa, Web Summit Qatar 2024, ended on a high note yesterday as it saw a huge turnout from international tech giants, startups, industry experts and tech enthusiasts from all over the world.
With the curtains closed on Doha’s inaugural edition, the event has now set several feats and records. Over four days, the summit, held at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, hosted 15,453 attendees from 118 countries, who witnessed the tech innovations of 1,043 from 81 countries, 10 percent of which came from Qatar and 20 percent from Africa. The international audience the event drew featured 401 investors, 148 partners and 380 speakers. The record-breaking event continued to garner worldwide attention across channels and platforms, with around 900 tech journalists and media representatives covering the summit.
Commenting on this occasion, Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office (GCO) and Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar 2024 Organising Committee, said: “We are proud of Qatar’s achievements across all domains. The exceptional organisation of such a celebrated global event and the huge turnout we have recorded for a first-year edition showcases our country’s capacity.”
“This shows to further its role as a leading destination for technology and innovation in the region and in launching initiatives that advance the digital and IT sector in Qatar and beyond.” He added: “Throughout its four-day run, we worked tirelessly to bring to our international audience a distinguished lineup of sessions, activities and engagements that build on Qatar’s track record of hosting global major events. As the summit’s inaugural edition in the region, we were excited to welcome thousands of startups, investors, and tech leaders, while opening doors to networking and growth opportunities for young and aspiring entrepreneurs in Qatar and the region. With AI and other emerging technologies and business development trends dominating discussions at the summit, the event has instantly proven its ability to serve as a platform that effectively contributes to Qatar’s digital transformation and accelerate the establishment of a knowledge-based economy.”
Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher highlighted the event’s record-breaking numbers, which came to the fore against the backdrop of Qatar’s renowned hospitality.
“This was an incredible event. We had record numbers of people. It was the most international star event ever in the region in terms of startups. We had the most international Web Summit first-year event we’ve ever done. I am so impressed by the Qatari hospitality, so excited to be able to come back year after year,” Maher said.
“We want more people to come. We want more international startups. We want more connection to the region. We want the Qatari ecosystem to grow. More startups from here, more startups located here,” she said on her expectations for the event’s successive editions.
