Doha, February 01 (QNA) - HE Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al-Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office (GCO) and Chairman of the Permanent Web Summit Organising Committee, confirmed operational readiness for Web Summit Qatar 2026, which takes place this evening and continues until 4 February.

 He confirmed that ticket sales were closed after surpassing the planned capacity, with attendees exceeding 30,000, noting that the final figure will be announced soon.

Ahead of the third edition of Web Summit Qatar, the GCO, in partnership with Web Summit, held a press conference today attended by HE Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al-Thani, and Paddy Cosgrave, Founder and CEO of Web Summit, in the presence of local, regional, and international media.

Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al-Thani emphasised that the summit has emerged as the fastest-growing technology event in the region and a strategic meeting point for global innovation leaders, investors, and decision-makers.

As part of the strategic partnership between the GCO and Web Summit, discussions focused on the main themes of the third edition and its significant progress in scale, global participation, and content.

The press conference also reviewed the economic impact of the previous edition and highlighted the summit's role in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship and reinforcing Qatar's standing as a regional centre for technology and the digital economy.

The third edition of the summit brings together over 400 speakers from Qatar and across the world, including HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation; HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; and HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, in addition to senior state officials and a distinguished group of international leaders and partners.

The GCO Director highlighted that the summit places strong emphasis on startups, with more than 1,600 startups participating this year, the largest gathering of startups at a single conference in the region, demonstrating Qatar's rising prominence in the startup ecosystem.

He noted the growing momentum of international partnerships, with the third edition welcoming major global companies, including Meta's first participation in Qatar and Google's debut at the summit, highlighting the expansion of global partnerships from one edition to the next.

Sheikh Jassim noted that the summit's international footprint continues to expand, with participation from nearly 40 countries, including delegations from Europe, the Gulf, the Americas, and Asia. He highlighted several first-time participations, including Switzerland, alongside delegations from China, the United Kingdom, India, and the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the summit's rising global standing.

The GCO Director affirmed that Qatar's partnership with Web Summit represents a successful strategic partnership model, highlighting the strong positive regional and global response generated by the third edition of the summit.

Responding to a question on economic impact, Sheikh Jassim said that the decision to host Web Summit Qatar came after comprehensive assessments to understand the impact of international conferences on the private sector and national economy. He pointed to strong indicators across tourism, hotel stays, and visitor numbers as clear evidence of the summit's sustainable contribution to the national economy, as well as its role in supporting the private sector and boosting tourism.

Addressing Qatari startups, he highlighted the strong growth in Qatari startup participation, noting that the number of local startups increased by more than 90% in the previous edition compared to the first. He added that this momentum reflects the value of direct engagement with investors and global companies in enhancing the international competitiveness of Qatari startups.

He added: "Web Summit Qatar effectively connects startups, especially Qatari startups, to global investors and international markets through its extensive networking and partnership platforms."

Paddy Cosgrave, Founder and CEO of Web Summit, said that Web Summit Qatar 2026 marks the largest edition ever, welcoming more than 30,000 participants from around the world and exceeding the initial expectations set when the summit was first launched in Doha. He noted that participation this year includes countries attending officially for the first time, underscoring the summit's expanding global reach.

He said: “Of the 1,600 startups participating, 85% are from outside Qatar. It's an incredibly global group. There are more investors than ever before. We are doing a huge number of meetups over the course of the four days, many of them occurring during the day onsite here and in the evenings.”

He commended the GCO team for creating an integrated and engaging platform that blends professional sessions by day with social events in the evening, highlighting the strong partnership and level of organisation. He also acknowledged the continued support of the Qatari government and expressed his anticipation for an exciting program.

The summit has attracted strong partner engagement this year, with more than 180 local and international partners taking part, including the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Development Bank, Invest Qatar, Visit Qatar, Media City Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Airways, and Qatar National Bank, alongside leading global companies across technology, media, finance, and investment, including Google, Meta, iHeartMedia, IBM, TikTok, Snap, and Huawei. This wide participation contributes to the depth of the summit's content and supports meaningful knowledge exchange and long-term partnerships.

The press conference concluded by underscoring that Web Summit Qatar 2026 positions the country as a global hub for technology and innovation and provides a platform for international collaboration, entrepreneurship, and the digital economy, aligned with national priorities and Qatar National Vision 2030, with expectations for an exceptional edition that reflects global participation and Qatar's forward-looking ambitions to build a knowledge-based economy. (QNA)