Page 41 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2025

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Qatar Well-Positioned for ICT Market Investments

Qatar is well-established and perfectly
positioned geographically enabling the
country to witness ‘heavy investments’ in
technology and telecommunications. An
official told The Peninsulathat the country
is an ideal hub for entrepreneurs for
investments, focusing on growing the
digital economy within Qatar itself. Baran
Yurdagul, Chief Operating Officer (COO), at
Vodafone Qatar, said: “Qatar, in terms of its
location, is a very advanced place because
we are just in the middle of the Middle East
and the GCC.” He noted that the
telecommunications operator is heavily
investing in the enablers and capabilities of
the country. “The whole idea is that it’s an
in-advance investment for us, but we
believe it will pay back for us. So, we want
to build the digital economy in Qatar and
are focused on growing the digital economy
within Qatar itself,” he said. The official
mentioned that the ecosystem and
entrepreneurship are significant as
Vodafone Qatar helps the startups to be the and connectivity provider, we help startups platform, offering new opportunities for
next unicorn in the region and globally. and entrepreneurs from the ideation stage startups through initiatives such as training
Vodafone Qatar, one of the core connectivity to their ideas becoming commercial.” sessions, consultations, collaborative
players in the region, is also diversifying its Additionally, Vodafone Qatar signed several product offerings, and access to Vodafone
revenue streams and services in the ICT memorandums of understanding with Qatar’s advanced digital solutions. The
digital space. “What we believe is Vodafone Snoonu, Samsung, and other innovation Chief Operating Officer concluded by
Qatar is built to change the game of systems during the four-day Summit. stating that the entity is optimistic about
telecommunications in Qatar, and we are Yurdagul further added, “Our agreements driving innovation to the tech sector and
actively working with entrepreneurs and with these companies aim to foster the boosting the resilience economy of the
our partners to take this scale of Vodafone business owners, tech experts, and country. He said that customers in Qatar
to the next stage,” Yurdagul said. During the startups helping their ideas to be realised, will witness numerous changes and
recently concluded Web Summit Qatar while we continue to enlarge our partnership schemes this year with new portfolio
2025, Vodafone Qatar showcased its ecosystem to serve the community and elements, digital services, and initiatives in
innovations, products, and services. He Qatar.” Leveraging the combined expertise the pipeline.
said: “The Web Summit concept is aligned of all of these organisations, the
with Vodafone because as a global player collaboration seeks to establish a growth

41 MARCH-APRIL 2025