Doha, May 16 (QNA) - The fourth edition of the Qatar Economic Forum 2024, Powered by Bloomberg concluded today, following three days of serious dialogue and discussions involving around 2300 participants. The forum aimed to discuss the challenges facing the global economy and explore its future prospects amidst rapid transformations across all levels.
HH the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani bestowed the honor of opening the forum in its fourth edition. The opening was attended by several esteemed presidents, including HE President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, HE President of the Republic of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr. , General Prabowo Subianto, President-elect and Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia Gen. Prabowo Subianto, and HE Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said in his speech at the forum's opening that Qatar is progressing towards comprehensive digital transformation through increased investment in technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence. To achieve this, His Excellency added, Qatar has allocated a package of incentives worth QR 9 billion, emphasizing that Qatar is hosting several editions of the Web Summit conference for the first time in the Middle East and Africa region to enhance partnerships with major investors and exchange expertise with technology pioneers from around the world. During this summit, the Start in Qatar initiative was launched, with more than 250 startup companies registered.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also announced the launch of the Arab Artificial Intelligence project Al Fanar, which will primarily rely on collecting quality data in Arabic, contributing to enriching large linguistic models and preserving Arab identity. He also highlighted the government's continued investment in the energy sector, where Qatar, by 2030 and thanks to the expansion project of the North Field, will have completed its expansion in liquefied natural gas production, raising total production to 142 million tons annually.
The events of the fourth edition of the forum, held under the theme "A World Remade: Navigating the Year of Uncertainty," witnessed the signing of around 20 memorandums of understanding, including 18 international agreements, compared to 10 memoranda signed in the previous edition.
Over the past four years, the forum has seen a qualitative leap, reflected in the number of international agreements, in addition to the significant interest it receives from global political and economic actors, with around 2300 participants in this edition, including 1300 influential corporate and international structure leaders, as well as about 200 media outlets, mostly foreign.
The forum discussed various topics over its days of sessions, focusing on geopolitics, globalization, trade, energy transition, technological innovation, business outlooks, investment, sports, and entertainment. This was in the context of the continued impact of major changes in technology, energy, trade, and politics affecting the world.
The sessions discussed several issues, notably the restructuring of Middle Eastern economies, the significant transformations witnessed by the economies of the GCC countries in recent years, especially after making significant strides in diversifying their economies. Additionally, issues like financing the transition to zero, the impact of linking the Middle East and Africa to promote economic development on the continent, empowering youth, reducing unemployment, and enhancing cities to provide healthy urban environments and vibrant communities. (QNA)