If the inaugural Web Summit Qatar 2024 was a milestone and set many records, the second edition, which kicked off yesterday is poised to create many more. The first edition had the largest participation of startups in a global event in its inaugural edition, with 1,100 companies, along with unprecedented attendance from startups from Africa. The current edition will see over 1,500 startups, of which 46% are women-founded. In addition, Qatari startup participation has surged to 140% compared to last year. Demand for Web Summit Qatar 2025 continues to scale new heights with over 25,000 tickets sold.
The largest tech event in the Mena region will welcome more than 300 speakers, 600 investors, 150 partners, and 600 media representatives from across the globe over four days. These figures underscore Web Summit Qatar’s growing momentum, solidifying its status as a key meeting point for the world’s technology and business leaders. Thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and technology leaders from around the world have come together, reinforcing Qatar’s position as a global hub for innovation.
“Our primary goal of hosting this event centres on developing the tech sector in Qatar and reinforcing Qatar’s standing as a leading regional hub,” highlighted HE Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor al-Thani, director of the Government Communication Office and chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee. As much as 85% of the startups participating in the Web Summit 2025 are international and highlights the event’s accelerated growth and importance as well as Doha’s prominent standing as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, according to Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave. “In just the space of a year, the number of startups participating in our programmes has grown by more than 50%. The number of investors travelling from around the world has also increased sharply in a single year by around 50% with roughly 90% of the investors flying to Qatar from around the world,” he pointed out.
Doha is hosting the Web Summit as part of a five-year partnership within the framework of Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy, which aims to support the technological business ecosystem in the country by launching quality initiatives, providing incentives for the development of advanced technologies, and enhancing investments in the information and communications technology sector, all contributing to diversifying the national economy.
Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) will be offering exceptional incentives during the Web Summit to companies looking to establish or expand their business ventures in Qatar. These incentives are inspired by the notable success of the QFC during the first edition of the summit, where it registered over 300 firms in just four days. Companies will benefit from waived registration and annual fees for the first four years, along with a tax exemption. QFC is also introducing instant banking services this year, in collaboration with QNB and Dukhan Bank, enabling potential clients to open corporate accounts seamlessly. This initiative further simplifies the business set-up process, resulting in a faster and more efficient entry into the Qatari market. QFC’s participation in the Web Summit reinforces its commitment to supporting business growth and technological innovation in Qatar, by positioning the country as a premier destination for global companies seeking to expand in the region.
As Cosgrave highlighted, more than 200 Qatari startups who will also be on the floor are a huge measure of how vibrant and rapidly the ecosystem in Qatar is changing. Web Summit Qatar may be happening in the Middle East, but it is a global gathering of companies and investors which will play a very prominent and important role in the future.