Qatar’s leadership aims to create a knowledge-based economy supported by robust telecommunications infrastructure, a large and diverse community of scientists and a strong incubation programme for innovative start-ups. The country has designed policies to ensure these specific ingredients are in sufficient supply to fuel the required growth and development. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are embedded across public sector agencies, enhancing a growing list of services and streamlining administrative work.
In 2024 the government updated key sector strategies and oversight mechanisms, and the two major telecommunications providers continued in their push for the fastest user experience possible. In November 2024 the newly created AI Week event served as a meeting of minds in the global AI community and an opportunity to showcase a new domestic technology – a large-language model (LLM) similar to ChatGPT, but for Arabic speakers.
Structure & Oversight
The Telecommunications Law of 2006 is the most relevant regulatory document for ICT and innovation. It created the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) as the sector’s regulator, and set major priorities such as the primacy of local entities for licensing, the restriction of unlicensed services and the establishment of fair competition among market players. Other relevant laws include the Personal Data Private Protection Law of 2016, which requires a consumer’s consent for data processing, sets limits on direct marketing and mandates security measures. The Cybercrime Prevention Law of 2014, meanwhile, criminalises hacking, identity theft, phishing, blackmail, cyberbullying and online harassment.
The Ministry of Communications and IT (MCIT) guides policy and is in charge of implementing several national plans and strategies to meet long-term goals. It was formed in October 2021 and is the main public body implementing Digital Agenda 2030. The agenda is part of the Third National Development Strategy 2024-30, and articulates the government’s overarching objectives and targets. It groups them into six key pillars of activity: digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital innovation, digital government, digital technologies and digital society.
The government’s economic goals for the ICT and innovation sectors include achieving a market value of QR40bn ($11bn) by 2030, ranking in the top 10 in global digital competitiveness indices, and ensuring that expenditure on technology-related research and development adds up to at least 0.9% of GDP. Goals for Qataris and their society for 2030 include at least 90% of government services digitised, education opportunities to ensure at least 10% of the population has advanced digital skills and ranking in the top 10 among countries for cybersecurity. According to the MCIT’s Qatar Digital Inclusion Index 2024, the country has advanced considerably in terms of digital availability, affordability and public trust. The index flags digital skills education, ICT market competitiveness, digitalising government services and sustainability in ICT as areas for improvement.
The government and MCIT have created complementary strategies and policy campaigns to support these broad goals, including the National Digital Authentication and Trust Services Strategy 2024-26, Digital Agenda 2030, Guidelines for the Secure Adoption and Usage of AI, and the Cybersecurity Framework. Qatar Financial Centre, the country’s financial services free zone, is another public body shaping the ICT and innovation sectors. It is focused on digital transformation, often through partnerships with both foreign and domestic investors, such as Microsoft and Ooredoo, Qatar’s largest mobile carrier, and with Vodafone Qatar, the second largest.
Regulation
The CRA is tasked with providing oversight that fosters an innovative and competitive environment in which companies and investors can pursue ideas and opportunities while protecting consumers from negative impacts. Recent reforms include guidelines for network neutrality – to ensure consumers can access internet content without network providers blocking or restricting access to websites or products – and to facilitate digital transformation through investment.
The CRA has mandated the retirement of 3G mobile telecommunications networks by the end of 2025, after which it plans to use that spectrum to boost 4G and 5G networks. It has also restricted imports of older phones to encourage 4G and 5G adoption. According to data from the UN International Telecommunications Union (ITU), 99.8% of users have access to 4G service. The MCIT reports that 96% of users enjoy 5G speeds.
One of the CRA’s main ongoing activities is the ICT Competition Framework review, initiated in 2024 and expected to conclude in 2026. The process was established to ensure the regulator’s implementation of its mandate in a way that facilitates sustainable growth. Qatar also has a dedicated regulator for data privacy, called the National Cyber Governance Assurance Affairs, which is part of the National Cyber Security Agency and is responsible for the implementation of the 2016 Digital Privacy Law.
Investment Incentives
The Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) offers support and incentives to investors in a regulated free zone environment, and applicants must present their plans in advance for approval. Manateq, which was created by the government in 2011 to develop free-zone services, partners with the Qatar Free Zones Authority to offer industrial and logistics zones, warehousing and other special economic zones targeting specific activities including ICT. Companies in these zones enjoy tax breaks, duties exemptions, access to government funding and the ability to fully repatriate all profits. Foreign investors can also partner with government entities, One such example is the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar’s partnership with Microsoft to create Ai.SHA, a customised generative AI service to provide information to investors on opportunities, compliance requirements and other relevant issues.
Qatar’s ICT market was valued at $13.3bn in 2023, according to UK-based data analytics provider Global Data. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% until 2028, implying a value of $25.1bn. Local providers are generally focused on domestic markets, with an estimated 10% exporting services. Exports totalled QR4bn ($1.1bn) in 2022. The communication services market was projected to reach a valuation of $2.5bn in 2024.
Mobile Market
The mobile telephone market in Qatar is relatively mature, with 4G and 5G services fully available and in use by most people. There are 4.9m active mobile connections in the country, implying a penetration rate of 180%, according to the US International Trade Administration. The mobile data market is expected to reach $1.4bn in value in 2025, and to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% to 2029, when it is projected to reach $1.6bn, according to Statista.
The two largest mobile carriers are Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar, both of which are majority owned by government entities. The providers stand out in the MENA region for their high rates of profitability, according to data analysis from the telecommunications consultancy Twimbit: Ooredoo had the top average revenue per user figure in 2023, at $28.30, and Vodafone Qatar ranked fourth, at $19.80.
Ooredoo has been the largest provider of telecommunications services since it was founded as Qatar Public Telecommunications in 1987, when it was focused on fixed-line services. In 1998 it rebranded as Qatar Telecom, and then in 2013 as Ooredoo. It operates in a number of markets across MENA and South-east Asia, amassing a total of 146.2m customers according to its 2024 earnings statement. It reported a revenue increase of 2% in 2024 to QR23.6bn ($6.5bn), with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rising 3% to QR10bn ($2.7bn). With 3m customers, Qatar accounts for 2% of Ooredoo’s global customer base, but 30% of revenue and 19% of capital expenditure.
Vodafone Qatar initiated service in 2009 and is also listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange. It reported revenue of QR3.2bn ($887m) in 2024, up 2.5% from 2023. EBITDA rose 6.1% to QR1.4bn ($384m), and net profit jumped 11.2% to QR601m ($165m). It reported 2.1m mobile customers as the year closed. Vodafone’s focus on service improvements in 2024 included launching Instant SIM, a first-of-its-kind technology that allows users to activate a pre- or post-paid account without requiring either a Wi-Fi or data connection. Behind the scenes, trials to boost download speeds yielded a rate of 10 Gbps, according to its annual report. Additionally, Qatar consistently ranks near the top of global indices that rank download speeds for both mobile and fixed internet.
Internet Services
Qatar has one of the highest mobile internet speeds in the world, at roughly 335 Mbps. All individuals in Qatar have access to the internet, and 96.2% of homes have a connection, according to ITU data. Mobile access dominates, as the mobile broadband penetration rate is 174%. For fixed broadband, there were 347,000 connections in 2023, for a penetration rate of roughly 12%.
The Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN) was created by the government in 2011 and is responsible for providing fibre broadband infrastructure to public entities and for commercial companies to sell to consumers. Its goals include making fibre-optic access available to all households in the country. In October 2024 the Qatar Investment Authority announced it would merge QNBN’s telecommunications ventures with Doha-based Gulf Bridge International, uniting the former’s domestic fibre network and the latter’s international submarine cable connectivity under one administration.
Technology Development
Ongoing innovation-related projects in Qatar include adopting AI, cloud computing and e-learning technologies, as well as ensuring public services are increasingly available online. The continued development and maturation of digital banking and mobile money services is another priority. The overall environment for startups in Qatar helps to drive innovation: over 60% of adults surveyed by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for its 2024-25 report said they planned to start a business in the next three years, the highest proportion of any country in the survey.
Meanwhile, the QSTP has emerged as a significant incubator for young technology firms, with more than $3bn invested at the facility by international companies in the past 14 years, according to the park’s website. As of May 2025, 20 of the 80 tenants were multinationals. The park offers successful applicants one year of its services, which can be expanded to three. The package includes quick and free incorporation, co-working spaces, subsidised business support services, access to QSTP-trained interns, mentorship and networking.
Another key driver of innovation is the Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Centre for Quantum Computing. Here, scientists pursue applications for cryptography, pharmaceuticals, logistics and supply chains using a $10m grant from the government, as well as additional funding from companies such as Ooredoo. Additional support and services for entrepreneurs are available from the Qatar Development Bank’s Business Incubation Centre.
Digital Government
One of Digital Agenda 2030’s main goals involves moving 90% of public services online by the target year. In March 2025 Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani took a step toward that goal by announcing the creation of the Smart Government and Digital Excellence Steering Committee. It will oversee the implementation of digitalisation strategies and coordinate efforts across government entities. The prime minister will chair the committee, which will also include the governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB), several top ministers and leaders of relevant agencies. Specific responsibilities will include approving digital initiatives and projects, and issuing policies and directives to drive implementation.
Furthermore, Digital Agenda 2030 envisions significant opportunities for foreign investors to provide support for key innovation-related technologies, including AI, blockchain, cloud computing, data analytics and internet of things products. The U.S. International Trade Administration’s commercial guide flags goods and services for small- and medium-sized enterprises as a key opportunity in the Qatari market. Businesses of these sizes tend to lag behind their larger counterparts in adopting new technologies, which can be difficult to source in packages specifically tailored to their needs and budgets. Key opportunities include cloud services, the report noted, such as software-as-a-service.
Digital Banking
Approximately 94% of Qataris use digital banking channels as of February 2025, according to fintech consultancy Clayfin. This segment of the ICT market is representative of the broader narrative: with offerings established, markets are maturing and healthy penetration rates signal to providers the need to focus on service innovation and improvements as a next step. The QCB’s digital wallet service, Qatar Mobile Payment, announced in April 2025 that users can attach multiple wallets to the same telephone number. Ooredoo’s Ooredoo Money initiated a service for Filipino expatriate workers in July 2024 in which they can contribute to the Philippines Social Security System via the company’s mobile app, according to the GSM Association’s The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2025. It also facilitates transfers between its wallets and PayPal accounts. The QCB issued the first digital payments licences in 2022, to Ooredoo Money and to Vodafone Qatar’s iPay, and then opened up the market to multinational options. As of May 2025 Apple, Google Pay, PayPal and Samsung Pay are also in use.
There are no purely digital banks in Qatar as of early 2025. However, the QCB introduced a regulatory framework for digital banks in December 2024. The framework requires operators to contribute to financial inclusion, and licensing will follow a phased approach. At first, banks will require a minimum capital of QR100m ($27.4m). Customer deposits will be capped at QR250,000 ($68,600) for retail accounts and QR1m ($274,000) for wholesale customers. Bank assets must not exceed QR4bn ($1.1bn). After three years, digital lenders can apply to the QCB to lift these limits. These regulations are set enable the country to harness the full potential of digital banking, offering enhanced access to financial services and driving economic growth.
E-Learning
The market for e-learning and education technology in Qatar was valued at $1.7bn in 2025 by Mordor Intelligence. The firm expects CAGR at 21.4% through 2030, to reach a $4.4bn valuation. On November 19, 2024, the country held the first annual Distance Learning Day. Students logged on from home for instruction via live broadcasts over a Microsoft-enabled platform. The aim was to demonstrate the benefits of e-learning and for teachers and students to enhance their technical skills. Students at all 215 government schools participated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education’s digital education platform incorporates AI to assess students and develop educational plans for them. Cloud services also play a key role in e-learning objectives, with Microsoft and Google among the foreign investors to have opened up data centres in the country in recent years. The June 2022 Cloud Policy Framework outlines specific goals in the cloud computing space.
National Strategy
The AI sector was valued at about QR2bn ($549m) in 2025, and AI technologies are increasingly embedded across digital platforms and within various government ministries and departments. Published in October 2019, the National AI Strategy was designed to fit within and help implement Qatar National Vision 2030. The strategy lays out pathways for innovation as well as protections for the population.
Leadership beyond government can also be found at QSTP, at the Qatar Computing Research Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and in other prominent spots across business and academia. QSTP convened local innovation leaders along with international figures in the field in late 2024 at the inaugural AI Week event. In addition to seminars and fireside chats with leaders, the event featured a hackathon, a Google DevFest and the exploration of new technologies such as QSTP’s Fanar, one of the few LLMs designed for Arabic speakers (see analysis).
Outlook
The government’s focus on ICT and innovation reflects a strong awareness that meeting the country’s goals requires a steady stream of technological adoption and innovation, as well as constant vigilance against cybersecurity threats. As the government reviews and refines its tactics to ensure progress on broader strategies, private sector leaders are also taking key steps in promoting innovation. This activity will be crucial to maintaining bottom-line growth, as the market has moved quickly from prospective to mature. With almost every person in Qatar connected, growth will come more from new ideas than new customers. As government services, mobile-money platforms and other apps develop, users will become more sophisticated, and demand will evolve. The government appears mindful of the need to stay abreast of market development. To that end, the CRA in 2024 announced a partnership with the ITU to create a digital innovation profile, which will include an assessment of ICT and innovation from various stakeholder perspectives to spot strengths, identify gaps, develop detailed recommendations for action and share in the development of solutions.
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