Qatar on way to become premier regional startup hub: PM

Qatar is doubling down on its commitment to become the premier regional destination for startups, announcing a “massive deregulation campaign” and boosted funding initiatives at the opening of Web Summit Qatar 2025 Sunday.

In his keynote address at the event, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani highlighted Qatar's unique position to foster global innovation.

“Here in Qatar we are creating a platform where innovation meets opportunities, and partnerships transform global industries,” he said.

“Being a small state like Qatar is similar to being a startup in this exciting digital age,” HE Sheikh Mohammed continued, drawing parallels between Qatar’s size and the agility of a startup. “That is why, at this level, we are focusing on helping startups because they embody the spirit of Qatar.”

Like many nations globally, he underscored a nationwide effort aimed at opening the economy to the private sector, cultivating a business-friendly environment supported by a thriving energy sector.

HE Sheikh Mohammed reiterated Qatar’s commitment to the $1bn of funds announced last year, managed by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), aimed at strategic investments in technology, innovation, and global entrepreneurship.

“Last year, from this very stage, I announced that the Qatar Investment Authority would form a $1bn fund to ensure that Qatar and the wider region had access to strategic investment focused specifically on technology, innovation and global entrepreneurship, and we delivered,” HE the Prime Minister stressed.

The QIA, he pointed out, has already partnered with six leading global investment entities, all of which will establish offices or regional headquarters in Qatar to extend their expertise and investment throughout the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region.

“Over the past year, well over 2,000 companies applied to the startup investment programme from more than 60 countries around the world,” he said.

According to HE Sheikh Mohammed, the Qatar government is also expanding its Startup Qatar platform, a centralised resource providing information, support, and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs.

He said that efforts have yielded tangible results, announcing that “Qatar has jumped 11 positions in the worldwide startup ecosystem ranking, the highest of any country in the top hundred, making us a regional technology hub”.

Web Summit founder and chief executive Paddy Cosgrave underlined the enthusiasm for Qatar’s vision, noting a huge turnout for the summit, with more than 25,000 attendees from more than 120 countries around the world.

“Impossible also, in my view, to ignore a record breaking 228 Qatari startups exhibiting over the coming days,” he stated. “In my view, these Qatari companies are key part of Qatar’s future, many will spend the coming days meeting with the more than 600 investors who have flown to Web Summit from around the world and search of their next investment.”

Cosgrave underlined what he described as an impressive roster of participants at the event, citing Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, IBM, TikTok and Huawei, among others.

He noted the presence of a record-breaking 1,520 exhibitors from 90 countries, along with major sovereign wealth funds, leading investment banks, and active venture capital funds.