GCO establishes podcasting hub for Mena region

The Government Communications Office (GCO) and iHeartMedia, the leading global podcast network, have signed a groundbreaking multi-year partnership to create a thriving podcasting industry in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).

This came on the sidelines of the Web Summit Qatar 2025, which ends Wednesday.

The partnership aims to bring world-class podcasting infrastructure to Qatar, sparking a wave of creative storytelling across the Mena region and supporting the country's ambition to become a global podcasting hub.

In a statement following the signing of the agreement, HE GCO Director and Chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee, Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor al-Thani said: "This collaboration marks a significant step towards the development of the podcasting industry in the region while reinforcing Qatar's position as a leading hub for digital content creation. I am confident this platform will serve as a catalyst for creativity, inspire new storytelling formats, build a sustainable podcasting ecosystem and create opportunities for a new generation of content creators in the Arab world."

"Podcasting has exploded in the US and is now a mass-reach medium. And iHeartMedia, with our expansive network as the #1 podcaster in America, is in a unique position to grow strong listenership around the globe," said CEO of iHeartMedia, Bob Pittman.

Pittman added: "iHeartPodcasts features a massive catalog of original shows spanning every category and this new partnership creates an opportunity to work with a long roster of incredible creators and distribute even more content to new audiences in the Middle East."

Under the agreement, iHeart will develop a state-of-the-art podcast studio in Qatar, accompanied by a lineup of original shows and the introduction of some of the world's most popular podcasts to Arabic-listening audiences.

It will also execute specialised masterclasses to nurture local talent and host global industry events, including Web Summit gatherings, positioning Qatar as a meeting point for the world's top podcasting voices.

The partnership was announced live from Web Summit Qatar's main stage by Conal Byrne, Chief Executive Officer of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group.

Aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030, the partnership invests in digital media and knowledge-sharing, empowering new voices and ensuring Arabic content thrives on a global stage.

The announcement follows the partnership agreement between iHeartMedia and the GCO earlier this year, which established iHeartMedia as the Official Podcast Partner for Web Summit Qatar 2025.

The GCO also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Snap Inc to launch the first Augmented Reality Academy in the Mena region.

The academy builds on the GCO's commitment to upskilling local media and communications talent, with a focus on the digital and creative content industry, in line with the Third National Development Strategy.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, HE Sheikh Jassim said: "We are delighted to partner with Snap to launch the first Augmented Reality Academy in the Mena region.

This innovative initiative will create exceptional opportunities for the youth, businesses and content creators across the board. This milestone reflects our dedication to equipping the next generation of creators with the essential tools and skills needed to thrive in our digitalised world.

He continued: "This academy represents a crucial investment in talent development, digital education and the creative economy. It will deliver specialised training programmes that help participants discover and leverage cutting-edge augmented reality innovations.

This initiative supports our long-term vision of transforming Qatar into a regional hub for digital excellence and strengthening our economic sustainability, in alignment with Qatar's National Vision 2030."

Hussein Freijeh, Vice-President and General Manager of Snap Inc Mena, said: "Our partnership with Qatar and the GCO started two years ago. Today is something that we're very happy about we're able to sign an agreement that allows us to build our developer community not only within Qatar, but also in the region and the globe."

The academy will provide a wide range of opportunities, programs and digital tools that will enable current and future generations of creators and developers in Qatar to unleash their creativity and create interactive experiences using augmented reality.

Augmented reality technology plays a vital role in improving the visual communication experience and enhancing users' interactions with their surrounding environment, supporting the health, education and training systems and improving the efficiency of industrial processes, marketing and sales and other various applications.

Snap Inc is a pioneer of augmented reality technologies, with more than 300mn people currently using its technology on Snapchat, and more than 85 % of daily users in the Mena region using Snap lenses.

This MoU builds on the GCO's strong partnership with Snap Inc It follows a list of strategic collaborations between the GCO and global digital platforms, including Google, TikTok, Amazon Ads and iHeartMedia, which aim to drive the digital ecosystem and develop the creator industry. These partnerships further consolidate Qatar's position as a leading regional centre for technology and innovation, in line with its National Vision 2030.