Today, the US-Qatar Business Council and the International Finance Corporation discussed ways to accelerate the startup, innovation and investment ecosystem in Qatar.
This came during an event entitled “Qatar as a Regional Center for Innovation: Accelerating the startup ecosystem in Qatar,” which was attended by officials, private sector leaders and investors from both sides with the aim of exploring evidence-based opportunities to accelerate the startup ecosystem, innovation and investment in Qatar, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and its third national development strategy.
The event witnessed the launch of the “Qatar Startup Ecosystem Study: A Roadmap to Accelerate the Ecosystem,” a research paper prepared jointly by the US-Qatar Business Council – Doha and the International Finance Corporation.
The study’s main findings and strategic recommendations were presented during the event, identifying practical, implementable paths to enhance Qatar’s position as a regional hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and growth investment.
In her opening speech, Sheikha Mais bint Hamad bin Mohammed Al Thani, Executive Director of the US-Qatari Business Council in Doha, indicated that the Council is based on activating private sector opportunities and transferring capital, talent and ideas from the stage of dialogue to the stage of commitment.
She added: “The start-up ecosystem in Qatar specifically represents the type of environment in which this activation is extremely important. This research paper gives us the evidence base for communicating with the private sector precisely, by identifying areas of investment readiness to move, the institutional gaps that need to be filled, and the unique advantages offered by Qatar’s position within the Gulf states, which are difficult for any other market in the region or in the world to replicate. Our mission is to transform these results into deals, partnerships and growth.”
Holly Wilburn-Benner, Country Director of the World Bank Group for Qatar, also spoke on this occasion, saying: “Startups are engines of innovation, job creation, and future growth. Qatar aspires to become a hub for entrepreneurship and venture capital, and today’s report provides an evidence-based roadmap to achieve this goal. This includes unleashing the potential of founders, enhancing the quality and scale of startups, increasing investment capacity, accelerating linkages with research and academic institutions in Qatar, and sector specialization.”
In the context of highlighting the importance of strengthening cooperation in the innovation and investment ecosystem in Qatar, Khaled Al-Sada, Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate and Institutional Banking at QNB Group, said: “Building a globally competitive innovation ecosystem requires strong cooperation between financial institutions, investors, policy makers, and entrepreneurs. At QNB Group, we recognize the important role that access to capital, institutional support, and cross-sector partnerships play in enabling startups to expand and contribute to achieving long-term economic growth. Supporting platforms such as “This reflects our ongoing commitment to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and private sector development, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The event formed part of the ongoing cooperation within the framework of the memorandum of understanding concluded between the US-Qatar Business Council – Doha and the International Finance Corporation, with the aim of enhancing evidence-based dialogue, enhancing private sector participation, and identifying implementable opportunities that support Qatar’s national development priorities and innovation-based economic diversification.
