Qatar is stepping up its game on the global technological front with ambitious partnerships intended to position the nation as a regional leader in tech development. These initiatives emerged prominently during the Web Summit Qatar 2025, where key agreements were inked to promote collaboration between Qatar and Uzbekistan, and between Qatar and various international tech giants.
Rustam Karimjonov, the Vice Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, emphasized the tremendous potential for collaboration between the two nations. “We have a historic day for cooperation between Uzbekistan and Qatar for developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and work together on achieving goals under the Digital Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy and Qatar Digital Agenda 2030,” he stated. With over 50 representatives from Uzbekistan, including startups and IT companies present, the aim is clear: bolster the burgeoning IT ecosystem.
Qatar's commitment to becoming a regional hub for the Middle East and North Africa is becoming increasingly tangible. The Vice Minister added, “Together we plan to provide outsourcing services and talent pools for global IT solutions which will be executed through Qatar to other regions.” With Uzbekistan hosting vast talent resources among its 37 million population, especially with 65% under the age of 30, the partnership is poised to leverage this youthful vigor.
Meanwhile, during the same event, the Qatar Digital Academy entered a significant partnership with Huawei. Duha Al Buhendi, the Director of the Digital Society and Digital Competencies Department at Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), explained the impact of this collaboration, which is geared toward advancing the skills of government employees. “This partnership initiative with Huawei marks a significant step for Qatar Digital Academy in empowering government employees with advanced digital expertise,” she noted, illustrating the alignment with Qatar's vision to cultivate future-ready competencies.
The agreement will enable government personnel to undergo training programs focusing on cloud computing, IoT, and other digital technologies using the Huawei Talent Platform, showing the dual focus on governmental capacity building and digital inclusivity.
Another exciting development was the announcement by Yuno, the global payment orchestration leader. With plans becoming concrete to establish its regional headquarters in Qatar, Yuno aims to tap the rapidly growing Middle Eastern e-commerce market, set to be valued at $1.888 trillion by 2024. CEO Juan Pablo Ortega remarked, “The region's vibrant and rapidly-evolving payments ecosystem aligns perfectly with our mission to enable businesses to accept and make payments anywhere.” This exemplifies the necessity for global companies to integrate fully within the local business atmosphere.
Through Invest Qatar, the partnership between Yuno and the Investment Promotion Agency aims to bolster local talent and create initiatives to develop Qatar's fintech ecosystem. Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani, CEO of Invest Qatar, expressed optimism about this collaboration, stating, “This partnership with Yuno exemplifies our dedication to creating a thriving FinTech ecosystem underpinned by high-skilled talent, innovation and technological advancement.”
This strategic alliance highlights the broader efforts of the Qatari government to diversify its economy via technological advancement, as well as the collaborative spirit fostering innovation. Interest from both local and international companies is rapidly growing, illustrating the exceptional potential for development within the region.
The financial dynamism, propelled by increased mobile banking and government-supported payment systems, establishes Qatar not just as a hub for finance, but as pivotal to the entire Middle East's digital transformation. Qatar's ambition, underlined by the recent partnerships at the summit, heralds the entry of enhanced digital capabilities, greater economic resilience, and technological interconnectivity.
The promising partnerships forged between Qatar and Uzbekistan, as well as the growing collaborations with renowned tech entities like Huawei and Yuno, showcase Qatar's transformative agenda. With these developments, Qatar is poised to emerge as one of the leading lights for ICT advancements and digital inclusivity, setting the stage for sustained economic growth.