As 2024 comes to a close, Runway to Web Summit Qatar kicked off preparations for the regionʼs leading tech event, set for February 2326, 2025;

● The latest Runway to Web Summit featured discussions with Web Summit co-founder and leader Paddy Cosgrave, Qatar Development Bank QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, and emerging Qatar-based startups;

● New key players in Qatarʼs startup ecosystem shared their journeys in a panel featuring Adeer AI management solutions), Kafy (food-tech platform), SkipCash (mobile payments), and Wqtah (local booking and discovery platform);

● Next yearʼs Web Summit Qatar aims to surpass the 15,000 attendees from the inaugural event, further establishing Qatar as an innovation powerhouse.

Qatar is set to showcase its growth as a global tech leader at Web Summit Qatar 2025, building on the success of the 2024 edition. A glimpse of the upcoming event was unveiled on Monday at M7, where Scale7, an incubator by QDB and M7, hosted the latest Runway to Web Summit.

Runway to Web Summit events support local tech communities ahead of Web Summit events, fostering innovation and growth.The latest gathering brought together Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave, along with QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, to discuss the future of tech and its impact on Qatarʼs ecosystem. They were joined by local Qatar based startups SkipCash (mobile payment platform), Adeer
AI business management solution), Wqtah (platform for booking local experiences), and Kafy (food-tech) who shared their latest innovations and future plans.

The panels were moderated by Hamad Al-Amari, a Qatari comedian and entrepreneur with a global background, shaped by his experiences in Ireland and the USA. He encouraged participants to share their journeys and views on Qatarʼs business ecosystem.

Speaking at the event, Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave highlighted the potential of Web Summit Qatar 2025.

“We are delighted to be in Doha today, alongside some incredible local Qatari startups showcasing the immense talent and potential ofi this region—which is truly exciting. Itʼs great to see some ofi last yearʼs participants returning as partners fior this yearʼs event,ˮ said Paddy Cosgrave, founder and CEO of Web Summit. “Weʼre also thrilled to be here with Qatar Development Bank QDB, who have been such a key part in growing Qatarʼs startup ecosystem by ofifiering support and resources that entrepreneurs need. Honestly, we can’t wait fior Web Summit Qatar 2025,” he added.

In 2024, Web Summit Qatar showcased the potential of Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, a foundation 2025 is set to amplify.

“The success ofi Web Summit Qatar 2024 highlights Qatar’s role as a global hub fior innovation and entrepreneurship, showcasing exceptional talent and opportunities across the Middle East, Asia, and Afirica,ˮ said Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office and Chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee. “As one ofi the fiastest-growing events in the region, Web Summit Qatar attracts increasing global attention, underscoring its signifiicance as a platfiorm fior innovation and collaboration. Building on this momentum, the 2025 edition will fioster deeper partnerships, empower more startups, and drive greater progress in the tech and innovation sectors,ˮ he continued.

During the February event, QDB unveiled its latest Startup Qatar Investment Programme under the Startup Qatar platform, aimed at supporting tech startups in establishing or expanding operations in Qatar. The event marked the signing of 24

Memoranda of Understanding MoUs, fostering strategic partnerships to advance the countryʼs tech ecosystem.

At the Runway to Web Summit gathering in Doha today, QDB CEO Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi emphasised Web Summitʼs role in driving innovation and collaboration, reinforcing Qatar’s position as a global leader in the tech and startup sectors.

“Web Summit Qatar represents a powerfiul testament to Qatar’s emergence as a global innovation hub. When thousands ofi startups firom around the globe converge here and express interest in our ecosystem, it signals something truly transfiormative. We’ve successfiully created an environment where innovation thrives, where government support meets entrepreneurial spirit, and where great ideas fiind the resources to become global solutions. Qatar today stands as a launch pad fior innovation, connecting visionary entrepreneurs with unprecedented opportunities. Through platfiorms like Web Summit, we’re actively shaping the fiuture ofi global innovation and establishing Qatar as the natural home fior transfiormative ideas in the region and beyond,” said Mr. Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, CEO, Qatar Development Bank.
The latest Runway to Web Summit gathering in Qatar also spotlighted the contributions of Qatari startups through a panel where founders shared their journeys, challenges, and goals.

After attending as startups at the inaugural Web Summit Qatar in 2024, SkipCash, a QR-based mobile payment app, and Wqtah, a platform for booking local experiences, are returning as partners for the 2025 event. Both shared how participating in last yearʼs event influenced their development and prepared them for future opportunities. Notably, SkipCash was recently recognised with the Best Smart Solution award at the Qatar Digital Business Awards 2024, while Wqtah won Best Company in Digital Commerce.

Adeer, an AI-powered business management platform also just received the title of Best Mobile App at the recent Qatar Digital Business Awards and joined Web Summit Lisbon this November. The startup panel also featured Kafy, a growing food-tech platform that shows how AI can be used to optimize operations for restaurants and food shops, tackling waste, and cutting costs.

About Web Summit Qatar
Web Summit Qatar 2025 will be the second edition of the event held in Doha. Building on Web Summitʼs global presence across Europe, North America, South America, and

Asia, Web Summit Qatar seeks to foster connections within the tech communities of the Middle East, Africa, and India, highlighting the region’s growing role in the global innovation ecosystem. The 2025 event is expected to bring together over 15,000 attendees, including startup founders, investors, thought leaders, CEOs, and global innovators.

About Web Summit
Web Summit runs the worldʼs largest technology events, connecting people and ideas that change the world. Web Summit events – Web Summit in Lisbon, Web Summit Rio in South America, Web Summit Vancouver in North America, RISE in Asia, and Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East – have gathered half a million people since Web Summitʼs beginnings as a 150-person conference in Dublin in 2009.