Qatar positions technology as key pillar of economic diversification strategy

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has built a comprehensive, end to end digital innovation ecosystem that supports startups from early incubation through to global e...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has built a comprehensive, end-to-end digital innovation ecosystem that supports startups from early incubation through to global expansion, as the country positions technology as a central pillar of its economic diversification strategy, a senior official from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) said.

In an interview with The Peninsula, Director of the Digital Economy Department at MCIT Faraj Al Abdullah

(pictured), noted that the ministry has designed an integrated framework that enables startups and global technology companies to innovate, test, commercialise, and scale from Qatar to international markets.

“Technology is a central pillar of Qatar’s economic diversification strategy under the Third National Development Strategy and Digital Agenda 2030,” Al Abdullah said on the sidelines of Web Summit Qatar, which concluded yesterday. “The country is targeting a contribution of QR40bn to non-hydrocarbon GDP by 2030, alongside the creation of approximately 26,000 new ICT jobs.”

Al Abdullah explained that MCIT’s approach is anchored around three core programmes, each tailored to a different stage of a company’s growth journey.