Adel al-Mutawa (centre) announcing Qtel support for QITCOM 2011 at a press conference. With him are Marwan Mahmoud (right) and George Ayache (left
Qtel will sponsor the ‘ictQATAR’s Innovation Theatre’ at the inaugural QITCOM 2011, as part of its efforts to nurture innovation and fuel a sense of discovery among young people in Qatar.
ictQATAR’s Innovation Theatre is set to be one of the highlights of the major event, providing an open-air forum where young people, start-ups and entrepreneurs can pitch their technology business concepts to a panel of experts.
With instant feedback and audience interaction, the experience will provide the young participants with greater insight into the potential of their ideas, and could even lead to sponsorship and support from major companies.
Similar-style events in the US and Europe have helped support the development of major dot.com enterprises and social media giants.
By engaging young people and supporting their ideas, QITCOM 2011 will provide strong support for the government’s efforts to build a strong knowledge-based economy for Qatar.
Announcing Qtel support of QITCOM 2011 here on Thursday, Qtel executive director Adel al-Mutawa said, “Qtel is proud to sponsor this initiative as part of our wider support for innovation and creativity across Qatar. There is a new generation of young Qataris who are looking to launch their own enterprises and change the way we do business, and Qtel is offering our full support for their new ways of thinking and innovation.”
As well as providing a member of the judging panel, Qtel will also be supporting the event with a range of innovative technology, to enable the participants to maximise the impact of the pitch. ictQATAR’s Innovation Theatre will kick-off on the first day of QITCOM 2011, and will run to the close of the event, offering a mix of live pitching sessions and structured feedback sessions.
ictQATAR is further supporting innovation at the event through its Incubation Centre, a dedicated area for new start-ups in Qatar.
ictQATAR executive director (ICT Industry Development) Marwan Mahmoud said,  “QITCOM 2011 is an important part of our efforts to build a knowledge-based economy in Qatar. To have a vibrant ICT sector, we need to connect local leaders with the global ICT industry to help spur investment and nurture locally grown innovation.
“QITCOM 2011 will also be one of the first events of its kind to focus on the importance of developing and supporting the growth of Arabic digital content. This is essential for the industry in the region,” he added.
As part of its support for QITCOM 2011, Qtel is supplying super-charged broadband Internet throughout the Doha Exhibition Centre, the venue for the event. With the connection supplied by Qtel, companies and visitors will be able to fully experience the technology demonstrations throughout the event.
George Ayache, IFP Qatar general manager said, “One of the key themes of this event is ‘Innovate,’ which is why we are so pleased to receive such strong support from all areas of the industry. Qtel’s support for QITCOM 2011 will help demonstrate the power and potential of Qatar’s indigenous technology and communications companies, as well as the incredible opportunities for partnership.”
Qtel speakers will feature at the QITCOM conference stream, which also include experts such as Dr Hessa al-Jaber, ictQATAR Secretary General; Guy Kawasaki, former Apple chief evangelist and co-founder of Alltop.com; and Mohamed al-Ghanem, Director General of the Telecom Regulatory Authority, UAE.

 

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