Doha, Qatar: Qatar has established strong foundations for its AI ambitions, backed by significant investment in infrastructure, technology and talent. However, the priority now is translating these investments into measurable economic value
In an interview with The Peninsula on the sidelines of MWC26 Doha, Bassam Hajhamad, Country Senior Partner at PwC Qatar, said the country was already seeing positive results, with 84% of surveyed CEOs in Qatar having defined AI roadmaps, while nearly three-quarters reported revenue increases attributable to AI, according to PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey.
“The next step is scaling these gains across the economy, focusing on productivity, business growth and better public services,” he said, adding that this would be critical to supporting Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy and its targets for economic diversification and productivity growth.
Hajhamad said AI presents significant opportunities for Qatar’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups to improve competitiveness, develop new products and access new markets.
Qatar’s expanding AI infrastructure can provide local businesses with the tools and capabilities to innovate without requiring major upfront technology investments. However, he noted that access to technology must be complemented by financing, technical expertise and opportunities to commercialise solutions.
“Strengthening collaboration between investors, established businesses and startups will be essential to developing homegrown AI solutions that can scale beyond Qatar,” he said.
On the sectors with the greatest potential to leverage AI, Hajhamad pointed to significant opportunities across Qatar’s economy, particularly in government services, telecommunications, digital infrastructure and businesses seeking to improve operational performance.
In government, AI can improve service delivery and efficiency, while Qatar’s growing computing and cloud capabilities create opportunities to develop AI services for domestic and regional markets.
Across the private sector, AI can improve customer experiences, automate processes and create new revenue streams.
“The greatest returns will come from applying AI to real business challenges and measuring the outcomes,” he said.
Addressing what more needs to be done to turn Qatar’s technology investments into homegrown innovation and successful businesses, Hajhamad said the next priority was ensuring more of the value created by these investments stays within the local economy.
This means strengthening the links between research, investment and commercialisation, while providing local companies with greater access to capital, expertise and opportunities to bring their solutions to market.
International partnerships can also accelerate knowledge transfer and local capability development.
“Ultimately, success means seeing more technology developed in Qatar, more competitive local businesses and more homegrown solutions reaching international markets,” he said.
Hajhamad also highlighted the importance of developing the workforce to support Qatar’s growing AI economy, stressing that the country’s long-term AI competitiveness would depend as much on its people as its technology.
He said the focus should extend beyond teaching employees how to use AI to developing the capabilities needed to build, implement and govern it.
Initiatives such as ALIF and GovAI are important steps in strengthening these skills across government, while greater collaboration between businesses, educational institutions and government will be essential to aligning training with market needs and providing practical experience.
“The goal is to build a workforce that can actively contribute to Qatar’s growing AI economy,” he said.
Looking towards 2030, Hajhamad said success should be measured not by how much Qatar has invested in technology, but by the economic value those investments have delivered.
“That means stronger productivity, more competitive businesses, better public services and a growing ecosystem of local technology companies creating and exporting innovative solutions,” he said.
He added that Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy provide a clear direction.
“The opportunity now is to turn the country’s strong digital foundations into lasting economic growth, greater private-sector participation and a more diversified, knowledge-based economy.”
