At the recently concluded Web Summit Qatar 2025, over 20,000 attendees witnessed significant advancements surrounding Qatar's digital transformation and innovation. Major players such as Huawei and Vodafone Qatar emerged as key contributors to this evolution, forging impactful partnerships aimed at enhancing the nation's digital strategy.
Huawei has cemented its position as a pivotal enabler of Qatar’s digital infrastructure by signing multiple memoranda of understandings (MoUs) with leading local organizations. These collaborations focus on cloud infrastructure, ICT talent development, and promising technological innovations, thereby addressing the unique needs of various sectors throughout the country.
The event provided the perfect stage for Huawei to showcase its commitment to fostering Qatar’s digital ecosystem. With the objective to spur industry intelligence, Huawei Cloud presented full-stack AI capabilities during the summit, which included infrastructure, computing power, algorithms, and its advanced Pangu Large Models.
Dr. Zhu Shenggao, the director of the AI Department at Huawei Cloud Middle East and Central Asia, delivered a keynote speech emphasizing how AI and cloud technologies are reshaping industries. He stated, "AI and cloud are not just trends; they represent the fundamental transformation of businesses." This moves beyond mere cost-saving measures, highlighting the revolutionary potential of technology when integrated correctly.
Rico Lin, president of Huawei Gulf North Region, highlighted these partnerships as opportunities to revolutionize the business environment. He remarked, "These partnerships represent our dedication to supporting Qatar’s digital future. By integrating AI, cloud technologies, and intelligent systems across various sectors, we fundamentally transform how businesses operate, how services are delivered, and how customers experience technologies."
A key highlight during the summit was Huawei's collaboration with Media City Qatar, aimed at creating a cutting-edge smart media campus powered by Huawei technologies. This initiative will integrate advanced AI-driven access control, intelligent shared space management, and next-generation storage architecture for media content, promising to significantly boost the customer experience within Qatar’s burgeoning media and entertainment sector.
Another notable partnership involved the Qatar Digital Academy (QDA), under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), which announced its collaboration with Huawei to launch the QDA & Huawei ICT Academy. This initiative is set to equip Qatari professionals and government employees with advanced ICT skills pertinent to the 5G, cloud computing, and digital transformation domains. By delivering globally recognized certifications, this program aims to bridge the digital skills gap, pushing Qatar closer to achieving its goal of becoming a smart, technology-driven economy as aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Huawei also reinforced its cloud presence by partnering with PowerMind, which will join the Huawei Cloud Partner Network. This collaboration allows PowerMind to expand its service offerings using Huawei’s advanced cloud technology. With access to Huawei's global ecosystem, PowerMind is positioned to accelerate growth and innovation within the cloud industry, benefiting from technological excellence and market insights.
Data Voice Technology also recognized the potential of Huawei’s infrastructure, partnering to deliver managed PABX services, enhancing communication solutions across various sectors. This strategic collaboration promises significant scalability and cost-efficiency to businesses, enabling them to tailor their communication needs seamlessly.
Meanwhile, Aamal IT, specializing in comprehensive IT solutions, formalized its partnership with Huawei by joining the Huawei Cloud Partner Network. The partnership aims for mutual growth and the delivery of innovative cloud solutions to the sector.
Ukraine-based Starlink also joined the collaboration, taking on the role of distributor for Huawei Cloud services. They are set to develop comprehensive technical capabilities, with team members being trained to excel within Huawei’s ecosystem, promising enhanced value to resellers and improved service delivery.
On another front, Vodafone Qatar, one of the key players within Qatar’s telecommunications sector, signed an MoU with Snoonu, Qatar’s homegrown e-commerce platform. This partnership seeks to explore synergies between telecommunications and premium delivery services, amplifying innovative product offerings.
The formal signing of the MoU was carried out by Mohamed Mohsin Alyafei, Acting Enterprise Business Unit (EBU) director at Vodafone Qatar, and Hamad al-Hajri, founder and CEO at Snoonu, witnessed by Baran Yurdagul, chief operating officer at Vodafone Qatar. Alyafei stated, "We are always seeking innovative ways toenhance the services we provide to our customers. Our partnership with Snoonu...will redefine convenience and connectivity for our customers."
With their strong experience in digital solutions, Vodafone Qatar aims to provide enhanced functionalities alongside Snoonu’s expertise, possibly setting new benchmarks for customer experience and service efficiency.
Al-Hajri echoed this sentiment, expressing excitement about the collaboration: "We are excited to join forces with Vodafone Qatar, a leader in digital transformation. This MoU reflects our shared vision to drive technological advancements and provide seamless digital experiences to our customers."
The connections made during Web Summit Qatar 2025 not only demonstrate the emphasis on innovation but also resonate with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 objectives, focusing on strengthening local industries and fostering advancements to position Qatar as a global technology and digital transformation hub.