Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, has addressed the opening of Web Summit Qatar 2026, as the global technology gathering sees Qatar Foundation’s commitment to human-centered innovation placed in the international spotlight.
The third edition of the event – hosted by Web Summit, the world’s leading technology and innovation event series – has brought together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, as it showcases the Middle East’s growing role as a global tech hub across three days of conversations, connections, and collaborations.
Speaking as Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser told its international audience: “Our conviction in safeguarding the distinct identity of our language, amid the unprecedented transformations the world is witnessing, is in harmony with our commitment to cultural diversity within the field of technology; for technology was never the child of a single civilization, destined to remain its exclusive inheritance.
“Rather, solutions that emerge from diverse local needs, and the ‘cultural DNA’ of one community or another, can acquire global significance and influence when empowered by technology. They can transform from isolated national or institutional efforts into genuine shared creativity that transcends regions, disciplines, and sectors.”
During Web Summit Qatar 2026, technology ventures developed by alumni of Qatar Foundation’s (QF) unique ecosystem of education are being showcased to investors and stakeholders. Ranging from health and education to sustainability, finance, and cybersecurity, 20 startups created by graduates of QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and QF’s international partner universities are being exhibited at the summit. Meanwhile, 54 startups incubated by QF’s Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) are being spotlighted in the tech innovation and entrepreneurship hub’s Web Summit Qatar 2026 pavilion.
QSTP is also contributing to the judging of the summit’s pitch competition, delivering an AI masterclass, and hosting a side event on the leading role of women in technology development and investment; while Rama Chakaki, President of QSTP, is among the panelists in a summit session on the region’s emergence as a global driver of AI infrastructure, deep tech, and intellectual property development.
QF’s participation in Web Summit Qatar 2026 will see its global education initiative WISE and the QRDI Council host sessions on how edtech startups are bridging gaps between learning and economic outcomes, and inclusive edtech, featuring speakers from WISE’s Edtech Accelerator cohort.
During the summit, WISE will also collaborate with QSTP for a panel discussion exploring how ‘precision education’ – powered by AI, data, and adaptive technologies – can enable inclusive, scalable learning systems that reach those who have been underserved by traditional education models. This collaboration will continue after Web Summit Qatar 2026 with a bootcamp at QSTP to support the progress of edtech solutions developed through the WISE Accelerator program.
In the field of health innovation, WISH – QF’s global health initiative – participated in a Web Summit Qatar 2026 session exploring Qatar’s fast-growing health tech ecosystem, from research and innovation to investment, partnerships, and digital, AI, and biotech advances, alongside the QRDI Council, HBKU’s Qatar Computing Research Institute, the Ministry of Public Health, Doha-based Prorenata Biotech, and Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center.
QF’s Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future held a panel discussion that explored the environmental challenges faced by cities in hot and arid climates, and the smart and innovative technical solutions that can address them; and participated in an innovation session highlighting how an air quality pilot scheme supported by the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council’s Innovation Pilot Grant is contributing to the sustainability efforts of both QF and Qatar. During the summit, Earthna is also holding a session focusing on ‘Industrial Policy for Green Economic Diversification in Qatar and the Gulf Region’.
HBKU will be hosting talks and showcasing technologies developed within its colleges and research institutes during the event, with QF partner universities Northwestern University in Qatar and HEC Paris, Doha, also participating in the summit. Meanwhile, reflecting QF’s commitment to cultivating a volunteerism culture in Qatar, a team of 30 volunteers from its community are supporting Web Summit Qatar 2026 as it brings the world of technology innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment to Doha.