Qatar Develops Frameworks To Boost Digital Contribution to GDP, Says MCIT Official

Qatar has developed frameworks to enhance the digital economy’s contribution to non-hydrocarbon GDP (gross domestic product) by more than QR40bn by 2030, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). “Guided by Qatar National Vision 2030, Qatar is advancing from a resource-based model to a knowledge-driven economy, powered by talent, entrepreneurship and technology,” Faraj Abdulla, Director of Digital Economy within Digital Affairs Department, MCIT, told the second edition of Qatar Investment and Innovation conference. 

The frameworks also seek to create 26,000 ICT (information, communication and technology) jobs and raise the R&D (research and development) expenditure to 1.5% of the GDP by 2030, he said.

 Investments in Qatar’s ecosystem grew by more than 130% in 2024, reflecting a strong investor confidence and the growing maturity of our innovation landscape, according to him. 

Highlighting that in the same year, Qatar recorded $2.7bn in foreign direct investment, Abdalla said: “Together, these achievements reflect Qatar’s strategic positioning as a gateway for investment in the region.” Making clear the priorities of MCIT in developing a strong innovation ecosystem, investing in advanced digital infrastructure and building human capital for the future; Abdulla said through initiatives and programmes like the Digital Incubation Centre, Tesmo Accelerator, ScaleNow and the National Innovation Labs, Qatar provides entrepreneurs and businesses with a pipeline of support. “Our investments in 5G cloud computing and AI (artificial intelligence) sandboxes ensure innovators have the tools they need to succeed,” he said.

 Stressing that Qatar is establishing a comprehensive regulatory environment for AI that balances innovation with responsibility; he said through MCIT’s strategic partnership with ScaleAI, “we are shaping policies and frameworks that promote innovation while ensuring ethical and responsible use of AI technologies”. Qatar is making strategic investments to enable AI advancement across the region, he said, adding through partnerships with global leaders such as Microsoft and Google Cloud, the country is driving innovation and integration across multiple sectors. “Beyond infrastructure, we are demonstrating AI’s transformative impact through real applications,” he said, referring to the Ministry of Municipality’s AI-powered building permit system, which now issues approvals within two hours instead of 30 days. “As we progress toward 2030, Qatar will continue to invest in technology that improves lives, implement policies that attract talent and foster partnerships that create shared prosperity across the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council). Qatar is committed to being more than a national success story,” Abdalla said.