
Qatar’s Digital Leap: AI, 5G, and Government Transformation
In 2024, Qatar launched its Digital Agenda 2030 as part of the Third National Development Strategy, committing to accelerate economic diversification through six pillars: technology adoption, innovation promotion, world-class government services, robust data infrastructure, and societal digital readiness. Scaling AI in Public Services Qatar’s government has also struck a five-year deal with Scale AI to integrate machine learning and automation across public services. Over the next five years, Scale AI will develop more than 50 applications—ranging from predictive analytics in healthcare to automated permit processing—setting a global benchmark for AI in the public sector. Next-Gen Telecom Networks On the private sector front, Ericsson and Ooredoo Qatar showcased next-generation 5G, AI-driven network optimization, and automation at their 2025 Technology Day. These innovations are designed to boost network capacity, reduce latency, and enable advanced services such as industry-grade IoT and autonomous traffic management . Powering Data-Driven Growth Qatar’s telco powerhouse, Ooredoo, is also channeling QR 2 billion into its MENA Digital Hub subsidiary to expand and modernize data-centre capacity. With plans for 120 MW of additional capacity over the next five years and an alliance with Nvidia, the country is cementing its role as a regional data-processing hub for AI and cloud services. A Global Startup Gateway Finally, Qatar hosted Web Summit Qatar 2025—the largest startup event in the Middle East—with over 25 700 attendees, 1 520 startups, and participation from tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta. Nearly half of the startups and over a third of attendees were women, underscoring the country’s commitment to inclusive innovation Conclusion Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030 charts a course for rapid growth in government digitalization, innovation, and data infrastructure. A partnership with Scale AI will deliver fifty machine-learning applications, automating permit processes and enabling predictive analytics in healthcare. Telecom leaders Ericsson and Ooredoo Qatar are deploying advanced 5G networks with AI-based optimization, supporting IoT and autonomous systems. Ooredoo’s MENA Digital Hub is receiving a QR 2 billion investment to expand data-centre capacity by 120 MW, in collaboration with Nvidia for AI workloads. At Web Summit Qatar 2025, more than twenty-five thousand attendees and over fifteen hundred startups showcased the country’s commitment to inclusive nationwide digital transformation.