Page 82 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2025

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Qatar’s Technology-Driven Transformation Accelerates with AI and Innovation

Leadership

Qatar has emerged as a resilient, diversified, and future-focused and financial forecasting. This reflects a mindset keen on evolving
economy, driven by rapid technological advancement, writes PwC business practices in response to global megatrends. Government
executive Bassam Hajhamad. The nation climbed 21 places to investments in digital infrastructure are soaring, with projected
rank 49th in the Global Innovation Index 2024 and jumped from spending reaching $5.7 billion by 2026, up from $1.65 billion in
78th to 53rd in the UN E-Government Development Index 2024, 2022. The Qatar Investment Authority is a key player in scaling
reflecting its growing global stature. Central to this progress is the AI initiatives. Research hubs like the Qatar Center for Quantum
accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Qatar launched its Computing at Hamad Bin Khalifa University are advancing next-
National AI Strategy in 2019 and aligned it with the National Digital generation tech, impacting sectors such as smart grids, finance,
Agenda 2030 (NDA 2030), which emphasizes innovation, digital and renewable energy. Industry convergence powered by AI is
infrastructure, and skills development in emerging technologies unlocking new value through cross-sector partnerships, notably in
such as AI, quantum computing, and nanotechnology. Generative finance, healthcare, energy, and technology. PwC’s survey showed
AI (GenAI) has become pivotal in Qatar’s industries. PwC’s recent 63% of CEOs collaborating with other organisations, 57% accessing
CEO Study revealed that 90% of Qatari CEOs adopted GenAI new customer bases, and 47% pursuing innovative market routes.
last year—surpassing the global average—and nearly all plan to Businesses are also investing heavily in AI skills development and
integrate it further into technology platforms, business processes, employee training to maintain adaptability amid rapid automation
and product development within three years. A strong 90% intend and intelligence adoption. Qatar’s forward-looking policies
to embed GenAI in workforce strategies, reflecting a proactive and investments are setting the stage for sustained economic
drive to leverage emerging tech for competitive advantage. Qatari resilience and global competitiveness, positioning the country to
businesses are already deploying AI in customer service chatbots, thrive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
real-time analytics, AI-powered CRM, supply chain optimisation,

Oman Launches Space Accelerator Program to Boost Innovation

In a significant move in furtherance of Oman Vision 2040, the the growing space industry. The program will provide technical
Sultanate of Oman has launched the Oman Space Accelerators guidance, awareness training, and official networking with
Program—an innovative programme to foster in-country investors, global corporations, and world space industry legends.”
capabilities in the global space sector and establish a knowledge- He continued, "The long-term vision of the accelerator is to equip
based economy. Commissioned by the Ministry of Transport, 10 Omani companies with the necessary tools and expertise
Communications and Information Technology (MoTCIT), the to be path-breaking drivers of the space economy, contributing
accelerator is Oman's first and is being established in partnership directly to Oman Vision 2040's innovation and human capital
with Ankaa Space & Technologies and UK space innovation targets." The 15-week program, extending from late August
business Exotopic. Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Under-Secretary through early December, will support ten Omani startups, small
for Communications and Information Technology, explained: and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurs, and academics
“It is the first-of-its-kind accelerator program in Oman that is with a fast-track sequence of training workshops and business
initiated to serve technology companies that want to venture into development exercises. Dr Saoud bin Humaid al Shoaili, Head
of the National Space Program, linked the program to broader
national interests: "As part of an effort to realize the ambitious
goals of the National Space Program and Oman Vision 2040, we
launched a comprehensive strategy aimed at developing strong
national capabilities in the sector." Dr Al Shoaili also explained that
the project fosters a competitive culture that encourages creative
solutions, and the first three entities are awarded to encourage
sustainable activities corresponding to strategic goals of the
industry. The program will focus on key space industry domains
such as communications, earth observation, geospatial analytics,
navigation, drones, AI and machine learning, advanced computing,
data storage, IoT, spacecraft simulations, startup acceleration, and
technology innovation. He outlined the three strategic pillars of the
program: institutional capacity, individual skills development, and
entrepreneurial and commercial capability. “Since January 2023,
we’ve implemented a number of targeted initiatives to strengthen

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