Web Summit, the largest technology conference in the world, revealed today that the startups, partners, and women in tech programs for its inaugural Middle East event, Web Summit Qatar, have reached full capacity. Over 1,000 startups and 100 partners from more than 80 countries are set to participate in the conference.
Web Summit Qatar is set to exceed initial expectations, with over 12,000 attendees already registered, surpassing the original target of 7,500.
Web Summit Qatar has meticulously chosen 1,000 startups from over 80 countries, encompassing Qatar, the United States, Egypt, Brazil, Italy, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and India, from a pool of thousands of applicants. The selected startups, representing nearly 30 industries, mark the most extensive global participation ever seen at a first-year Web Summit event.
Web Summit Qatar will feature 100 partners on its sold-out event floor in 2024. Among the prominent exhibitors are Microsoft, Qatar Investment Authority, Deloitte, and Palo Alto Networks. Additionally, trade delegations from various countries, including Canada, Turkey, Bahrain, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya, will be present to explore business opportunities in Doha and Qatar at large.
The Women in Tech program, designed to promote gender equality in the technology sector and spanning all Web Summit events, has reached full capacity. The Women in Tech Lounge is set to host various organizations, including Women of Qatar and Woman Techmakers, alongside numerous female tech attendees from around the globe. This diverse participation underscores the truly global reach of the Women in Tech program.
Exclusive women-only sessions at Web Summit Qatar will offer guidance to bold female innovators on topics like sustainable consumerism and navigating the AI landscape. The Women in Tech Lounge will feature speakers such as Huda Al Lawati, the founder and CEO of Aliph Capital, and Thuraya Nasser Al-Mulla, co-founder and CEO of Receipts from Qatar. Notably, Al-Mulla will lead a session inspiring women to make strides in the global tech sector.
Emmy Award-winning South African comedian Trevor Noah, astronaut Sara Sabry (founder and CEO of the Deep Space Initiative), Amjad Masad (co-founder and CEO of Replit), Sachin Dev Duggal (founder and chief wizard of Builder.ai), YouTuber Felipe Neto, Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva (soccer legend), and Hosam Arab (co-founder and CEO of Tabby) will be among the notable people at Web Summit Qatar in February.
“The significant global presence at our inaugural Middle East event serves as a compelling reminder that technology transcends borders, and opportunities abound universally. The sell-out of startup slots, partnerships, and Women in Tech programs well in advance of the event underscores the excellence and high standards of Web Summit events. This success is further amplified by the support of the GCO as we venture into a region teeming with generational opportunities and dynamism. I am particularly thrilled about honouring women’s empowerment at the Women in Tech lounge and eagerly anticipate connecting with the global Women in Tech community,” stated Katherine Maher, CEO of Web Summit.
“We anticipate that emerging technologies will revolutionize the realms of work and business, extending their impact across education, government, public services, and the private sector. Hosting the inaugural Web Summit event in the Middle East is a source of pride for us, as it will leverage the distinctive combination of opportunity, innovation, and connectivity that our country has to offer,” stated Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al Thani, Chairman of the Web Summit Qatar Organizing Committee.
Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al Thani views the upcoming conference as a key platform to highlight his country’s innovative potential. The Web Summit is poised to demonstrate Qatar’s innovative potential to the world, according to the chairman.
Web Summit Qatar is now part of the company’s global lineup, joining its flagship event in Lisbon, which attracted 71,000 attendees in November 2023, along with Collision, North America’s fastest-growing tech event in Toronto, and Web Summit Rio, scheduled for its second edition in 2024.
The inaugural edition of Web Summit Qatar will be hosted at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) from February 26 to 29, 2024.
About Web Summit
Web Summit runs the world’s largest technology events, connecting people and ideas that change the world. Web Summit events – Web Summit in Lisbon, Web Summit Rio in South America, Collision in North America and RISE in Asia and now Web Summit Qatar – have gathered half a million people since Web Summit’s beginnings as a 150-person conference in Dublin in 2009.
Web Summit’s mission has been to create software that enables meaningful connections between the CEOs, founders, investors, members of the media, politicians and cultural icons who are reshaping the world.
Forbes says Web Summit is “the best tech conference on the planet”; Bloomberg calls it “Davos for geeks”; Politico “the Olympics of tech”; the Guardian “Glastonbury for geeks”. In the words of the Financial Times, Web Summit is “the world’s largest tech conference”, and the Telegraph calls it the “planet’s best tech conference”.
Check out the Web Summit Qatar website at qatar.websummit.com
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