Doha, October 25 (QNA) - HE Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai affirmed that the State of Qatar is moving forward with building a digital economy rooted in knowledge and innovation.

This is being achieved through investments in digital infrastructure, the development of national talent, the promotion of artificial intelligence adoption, and the establishment of trust and responsible governance, all of which support the realization of the goals set out in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Digital Agenda 2030.

This came during His Excellency's remarks at the opening of the session titled "Investing in AI for an Inclusive Digital Future," held as part of the 9th World Investment Forum 2026, hosted by the State of Qatar in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from Oct. 25-27 under the theme "Investing in the Future." He commend the partnership with UNCTAD and underscored the importance of directing investments toward future technologies to foster sustainable development and shared prosperity.

His Excellency pointed out that AI has become one of the key factors influencing the direction of global capital, in light of the rapid growth of investments in digital infrastructure and data centers. He noted that the primary challenge facing governments is to transform these investments into sustainable national capabilities, economic opportunities, and services that contribute to improving the quality of people's lives.

His Excellency indicated that the State of Qatar is adopting an integrated approach to strengthen its position in the digital economy, anchored by four key pillars. The first of these is investment in sovereign, scalable digital infrastructure. In this context, he pointed to the USD 20 billion partnership announced between "Qai" and Brookfield to develop comprehensive AI infrastructure, which will enhance high-performance computing capabilities in the region.

His Excellency added that the second pillar focuses on investing in people and developing digital skills. Qatar aims to provide over 50,000 training opportunities in digital fields and artificial intelligence by 2030, thereby helping to prepare national talent for the requirements of the future economy.

He underscored that the third pillar focuses on accelerating the adoption of technology and entrepreneurship by developing AI use cases within the government sector, and by supporting both established companies and startups in this field through an incentive package valued at QR 6 billion, thereby fostering innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy.

Regarding the fourth pillar, His Excellency emphasized the importance of building trust through the responsible governance of AI. He noted that, during the Global Dialogue on AI Governance held by the United Nations in July, the State of Qatar stressed that human rights and meaningful human oversight must remain at the core of the development and use of these technologies.

His Excellency also pointed to Qatar's support for the development of AI governance frameworks that account for global linguistic and cultural diversity, including the Arabic language, to ensure that various societies can benefit from modern technologies in a fair and inclusive manner.

His Excellency concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the future of AI will be built upon international partnerships and collaboration among governments, investors, and innovators. He underscored the State of Qatar's readiness to continue its role as a bridge for cooperation between various regions, and to transform current investments into sustainable opportunities that contribute to development and prosperity for all. (QNA)