Ooredoo Money and Mashreq Qatar Collaborate to Enhance Payroll Services for Corporate Customers in Qatar
20 March 2025 Doha, Qatar: Ooredoo Fintech has announced a strategic collaboration with Mashreq, one of the leading financial institutions in the MENA region, to introduce innovative solutions and offer seamless Wages Protection System (WPS) salary payment services to the bank’s corporate customers in Qatar. This new partnership aims to offer businesses with an efficient and secure payroll solution while ensuring compliance with Qatar Central Bank (QCB) regulations. The collaboration is designed to enhance the payroll offering for Mashreq’s corporate clients, introducing a streamlined method for salary disbursements. Through Ooredoo Money’s platform, businesses will be able to process employee salaries securely and efficiently, benefiting from the innovative financial technology that Ooredoo Money has developed. Key goals of the collaboration: 1.Offer WPS Salary Payment Services and cutting-edge solutions The partnership will allow Mashreq’s corporate customers to process employee salaries directly through Ooredoo Money, offering an easy-to-use, secure solution. This initiative ensures compliance with the QCB’s regulations on salary disbursements and promotes financial transparency within businesses. 2.Future Collaboration Opportunities Beyond the WPS salary payment services, both companies have expressed interest in exploring further collaborative efforts to provide additional financial products. This could include expanding the range of services for both businesses and their employees, continuing to promote financial inclusion and innovation across Qatar. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in offering businesses in Qatar a simple, secure, and compliant solution for managing employee salaries,” said Mirko Giacco, Group CEO of Ooredoo Fintech. “We are committed to supporting Qatar’s growing digital economy, and by teaming up with Mashreq Bank, we are making it easier for companies to provide timely and efficient salary payments to their employees.” “We are pleased to partner Ooredoo Money to bring enhanced payroll solutions to our corporate clients. Ooredoo Money and Mashreq have synergy as both of us rely and want to further develop digital solutions in Qatar. I am sure this collaboration will be beneficial for both Mashreq and Ooredoo Money clients.” Said Salman Gulzar, Country Head of Mashreq Qatar. The partnership between Ooredoo Money and Mashreq aligns with Qatar’s vision for financial innovation and economic diversification. It aims to deliver more accessible and efficient financial services, helping businesses focus on growth while ensuring their operations remain compliant with regulatory standards.
The State of Qatar and the GSMA to Host First Edition of MWC Doha in the MENA
Doha, Qatar, March 4, 2025: The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), announced that it will host MWC Doha for five consecutive years, marking a historic first for the Middle East and North Africa region. The announcement was made during an official signing ceremony attended by H.E. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and Mr. John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Ltd., along with senior officials from the GSMA. This landmark event highlights global confidence in Qatar’s capability to organize and host world-class technological events. MWC Barcelona is held annually by the GSMA. It is the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event and this year’s edition will feature a broad range of topics reflecting the latest trends and technologies in the mobile industry. Key themes for this year’s edition include 5G Inside, Connect X, AI+, Enterprise Re-invented, Game Changers, and Our Digital DNA. H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, emphasized that the event serves as a global platform to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among companies and experts. He noted that this initiative will accelerate digital transformation and solidify Qatar’s position as a global hub for digital innovation, aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030. H.E stated: “Qatar is preparing to host MWC Doha for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region. This milestone reflects our commitment to accelerating the adoption of digital solutions and enhancing our leadership in the ICT sector. Hosting this event represents a strategic opportunity to attract investments and support the implementation of the Digital Agenda 2030. This event will enhance collaboration among leading sector companies, opening new horizons for growth and innovation in the region.” The inaugural edition of MWC Doha, set for 25-26 November 2025, will spotlight the latest breakthroughs in mobile technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology, and smart connectivity. The event will also explore crucial topics such as digital inclusion, sustainability, and future technologies, providing a unique platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Mr. John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Ltd., highlighted the significance of the event by stating: “The world’s largest and most influential connectivity event is coming to Doha! We are delighted to welcome MWC25 Doha to our world-renowned MWC Series. Our vision is for MWC Doha to become integral to Qatar’s emerging role as a global hub for digital innovation, showcasing the Middle East’s digital transformation across AI, advanced 5G and smart mobility. We cannot wait to open the doors for MWC25 Doha – see you there!” Qatar’s hosting of MWC Doha is expected to significantly boost the country’s economy by attracting thousands of visitors and participants from around the world, including top executives, experts, and investors in the telecommunications and information technology sector. This global influx will serve as a powerful catalyst for economic growth, a bridge for international cooperation, and a platform to showcase the technological capabilities of Qatari and regional companies. It will further solidify Qatar’s position as a leading hub for digital innovation and investment in the region and globally. Additionally, this hosting is set to attract foreign direct investment to Qatar by providing international investors with the opportunity to explore the country’s attractive investment environment, which includes advanced infrastructure and a supportive regulatory framework for entrepreneurship and digital ventures. It is also expected to open new avenues for strategic partnerships between Qatari and global companies, reinforcing Qatar’s standing as a regional and global center for technology and digital innovation. Moreover, MWC Doha will provide government entities and local businesses with a valuable opportunity to engage with leading global experts, exchange knowledge, and stay up to date with the latest technological trends that can be implemented locally to support digital transformation and build a knowledge-based economy. Furthermore, it will serve as a crucial platform for local and regional companies to showcase their solutions and products on the global stage, interact with industry leaders and innovators, and enhance their competitive edge. This engagement will help these companies expand into new markets and strengthen their position in the international arena. The GSMA has regional editions of MWC to promote innovation globally including MWC Shanghai, MWC Las Vegas and MWC Kigali. With Qatar set to host MWC Doha, the country reinforces its position as a regional leader in technology and innovation, driving forward its vision for a connected and AI-powered future. MWC Barcelona 2024 attracted over 101,000 participants from 205 countries and territories, with more than 2,700 exhibiting companies, showcasing the significant economic and technological impact of this event. Choosing Qatar to host MWC Doha over the coming years reflects the international community’s trust in its organizational capabilities and advanced infrastructure.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology visits DECC for Final Checks Ahead of Web Summit Qatar 2025
H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, conducted a visit today to oversee the final preparations for the second edition of Web Summit Qatar 2025, which is set to take place tomorrow, Sunday, February 23. The summit will feature over 1,540 startups, marking a 50% increase from last year’s edition, along with 651 investors from more than 80 countries. On this occasion, H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai expressed his sincere appreciation to the organizing committee and the Web Summit team for their significant efforts in ensuring the success of this global event. During his tour, H.E. emphasized the importance of the summit in solidifying Qatar’s role as a regional hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. He also praised the meticulous preparations made to deliver an exceptional experience for participants through dedicated platforms and networking opportunities. Web Summit Qatar 2025 serves as a strategic platform to discuss the latest advancements in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and tech entrepreneurship, while also highlighting promising investment opportunities in Qatar’s technology sector. The summit plays a crucial role in supporting startups and fostering a dynamic digital innovation ecosystem. This event aligns with national efforts to accelerate digital transformation and enable a knowledge-based economy, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy. The summit is expected to enhance international partnerships and attract technology investments, further strengthening Qatar’s position as a global leader in the digital economy.
Huawei to Showcase Cutting-Edge Cloud and AI Innovations at Web Summit Qatar 2025
AI Pioneer Accelerates Intelligence with Everything as a Service Doha, Qatar – February 18, 2025 – Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, is set to showcase its latest Cloud and AI solutions at Web Summit Qatar 2025, taking place from February 23 to 26 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC). Under the theme “Accelerate Intelligence with Everything as a Service,” Huawei will demonstrate how its advanced technologies enable businesses and industries to harness the power of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation to drive unprecedented innovation and efficiency. Following the success of its inaugural edition in 2024, Web Summit Qatar returns for its second year, solidifying Qatar’s position as a global technology and innovation hub. The event brings together world-leading technology companies, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and investors, fostering discussions on the future of AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation. As an AI pioneer in industry applications, Huawei Cloud is driving industry intelligence by providing full-stack AI capabilities, including infrastructure, computing power, algorithms, development frameworks, and its advanced Pangu Large Models. Leveraging its CloudMatrix AI-native infrastructure, Huawei Cloud Stack, and Ascend AI cloud services, Huawei delivers massive AI computing power with unparalleled efficiency, offering flexible deployment options tailored to diverse enterprise needs. Huawei Cloud Stack provides an on-premise deployment mode for enterprises or governments that prefer to save data locally and develop foundation models independently. Meanwhile, Ascend AI cloud services offer a public cloud alternative for organizations that want to avoid the complexities of building and maintaining their data centers. The newly launched Pangu Large Model 5.0 offers advancements in multimodal capabilities, reasoning, and real-world applications across sectors such as autonomous driving, intelligent cities, robotics, industrial design, and drug R&D, solidifying Huawei Cloud’s position as a leader in AI-driven digital transformation. Building on these technical strengths, Huawei is redefining innovation through its “Everything as a Service” strategy, which offers fully digital, cloud-based, and AI-powered solutions across three key pillars: Infrastructure as a Service, Technology as a Service, and Expertise as a Service. At Web Summit Qatar, the company will showcase how this approach enables scalable, secure, and high-performance solutions tailored to the needs of governments, enterprises, and industries, empowering them to accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Rico Lin, President of Huawei Gulf North Region, stated: “At Huawei, we are committed to accelerating intelligence and enabling businesses to thrive in the digital era. Our participation at Web Summit Qatar 2025 underscores our dedication to providing innovative Cloud and AI solutions that empower industries to operate smarter, scale faster, and drive greater efficiency. As Qatar moves toward a knowledge-based economy, we look forward to collaborating with industry leaders, government stakeholders, and technology pioneers to support the country’s digital ambitions and shape the future of AI-driven innovation.” Under Infrastructure as a Service, Huawei Cloud’s KooVerse, which consists of 96 availability zones (AZs) in 33 regions, provides a unified architecture serving customers in more than 170 countries and regions to meet their diverse application scenarios through different modes of public cloud, private cloud, and edge cloud. Technology as a Service solutions enable businesses to innovate easily and modernize applications through Huawei’s R&D advances, delivered to customers, partners, and developers through cloud services. Huawei Cloud has built development production lines designed to accelerate enterprise application modernization. These include ModelArts, a one-stop AI platform that empowers developers and data scientists to rapidly develop and deploy models, driving intelligent upgrades across industries. DataArts, on the other hand, is a comprehensive data lifecycle management platform that provides end-to-end governance of databases, warehouses, data lakes, and AI, unlocking the full value of data. CodeArts is an all-in-one DevSecOps platform offering out-of-the-box cloud services for requirement delivery, code commit, testing, building, verification, deployment, and release throughout the entire software development lifecycle. Meanwhile, MetaStudio delivers cutting-edge tools for virtual avatar video production, livestreaming, and intelligent interaction, revolutionizing content creation across industries. Beyond technology, Huawei Cloud’s Expertise as a Service will highlight shared excellence and cloud-enabled industries. Huawei Cloud MacroVerse aPaaS opens up Huawei’s years of innovation and digitalization experience so that industry developers no longer need to reinvent the wheel, enabling industry scenario-based innovation in more than 10 vertical industries, such as government, finance, manufacturing, transportation, and meteorology. A key focus of Huawei’s participation will be introducing industry-specific AI applications, demonstrating real-world scenarios where AI and cloud technologies drive innovation. From AI-powered diagnostics in healthcare that improve accuracy and speed to predictive maintenance in manufacturing that reduces downtime and enhances productivity, Huawei’s solutions are transforming industries. The financial sector also benefits from Huawei’s AI-driven risk assessment and fraud detection capabilities, while the transportation industry is leveraging AI-powered logistics and fleet management to optimize routes and enhance efficiency. Huawei’s AI for Industries initiative is set to redefine the future of business operations by embedding AI into core decision-making processes. By integrating AI-driven automation across sectors, enterprises can increase efficiency, reduce operational costs, and unlock new growth opportunities. Whether through smart urban planning, intelligent infrastructure, or AI-powered governance models, Huawei is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to shape the future of digital economies. This aligns with Qatar’s digital transformation agenda, which aims to harness AI, big data, and cloud computing to enhance public services, drive economic competitiveness, and build a sustainable, knowledge-based economy. As Qatar strengthens its role as a digital powerhouse, Huawei remains committed to working alongside local enterprises, government entities, and global partners to build an ecosystem where cloud and AI technologies drive meaningful transformation. Huawei’s presence at Web Summit Qatar reinforces its commitment to supporting Qatar’s national digital agenda, aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030, which prioritizes economic diversification, digital innovation, and smart infrastructure as key pillars for sustainable growth. Huawei invites attendees to its booth number E503 to experience live demonstrations, engage with industry experts, and explore how Cloud and AI technologies can transform businesses and industries.
MCIT Launches “Scale Now” Program to Empower Digital Entrepreneurs in Qatar
Doha, Qatar – February 10, 2025: As part of its efforts to strengthen the digital ecosystem for entrepreneurs and startups, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has launched the “Scale Now” program, the first of its kind in Qatar to support digital entrepreneurs. The program provides them with the necessary tools and mentorship to accelerate their business growth and expand into local, regional, and international markets. This initiative aligns with the ministry’s strategy to enhance the digital economy, supporting the objectives of the Digital Agenda 2030 by fostering a thriving digital innovation environment and developing startups, positioning Qatar as a leading regional hub for the digital economy. The ” Scale Now” program is built on three core pillars designed to drive startup growth and empower entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable success. First, Capability Building & Mentorship, where participants receive intensive hands-on guidance from a distinguished network of global experts in entrepreneurship, business strategy, and operational management, helping them refine their business models and enhance their competitiveness. Second, Local Go-To-Market Support, which enables direct engagement with local market leaders, facilitating the establishment of strategic relationships and business partnerships to strengthen their presence in the Qatari business landscape. Lastly, Expansion Readiness Support, providing startups with the necessary tools and effective strategies to scale into regional and global markets, unlocking new growth and innovation opportunities on an international scale. In this regard, Mr. Faraj Jassim Abdulla, Director of the Digital Economy Department at MCIT, stated: ” Scale Now program represents a significant step in empowering digital entrepreneurs in Qatar, equipping them with the tools and guidance needed to scale their businesses and expand into local and global markets. This initiative reflects MCIT’s commitment to fostering startups and driving digital innovation, in alignment with the goals of the Digital Agenda 2030. Through Capability Building & Mentorship, Local Go-To-Market Support, and Expansion Readiness Support, “Scale Now” contributes to establishing Qatar as a regional hub for the digital economy and supports economic diversification by enabling startups to achieve long-term sustainability and growth.” The ministry has launched the first cohort of the “Scale Now” program, featuring six digital entrepreneurs from various sectors, reinforcing its commitment to supporting startups and enhancing digital innovation in the entrepreneurship sector. Future cohorts are planned to accommodate 15 entrepreneurs per six-month cycle, providing them with comprehensive support for scaling their businesses. The “Scale Now” program continues to welcome ambitious entrepreneurs, offering them an exceptional opportunity to benefit from a supportive environment that enhances their ability to achieve sustainable growth. The program seeks to attract startups that meet specific criteria, ensuring optimal utilization of its resources while strengthening Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. To qualify for the program, companies must be officially registered in Qatar, have a market-ready product or service, and demonstrate a clear ability to maintain continuous operations throughout the program duration. The initiative also prioritizes companies with a strategic vision for expansion within Qatar and strong readiness for regional and global growth. This initiative is part of MCIT’s broader efforts to promote digital innovation and enhance the digital entrepreneurship landscape, reaffirming its commitment to establishing Qatar as a global leader in the digital economy. The program provides a promising platform for local entrepreneurs to seize expansion opportunities in new markets. It is expected to drive startup growth, enhance their global competitiveness, and contribute to economic diversification, reinforcing the key pillars of the Digital Agenda 2030.
