Doha – International startups and industry leaders have lauded Qatar’s successful hosting of Web Summit 2025, which concluded last month with record-breaking participation. The event attracted over 25,000 attendees from more than 120 countries. This reinforced Qatar’s growing status as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The second edition of the summit saw over 1,520 startups from diverse industries present their cutting-edge solutions to investors and industry experts. Many entrepreneurs highlighted Qatar’s business-friendly ecosystem, investment support, and strategic location. These were seen as key advantages.
Junaid Wahedna, founder of fintech firm Wahed, praised Qatar’s commitment to Islamic finance and technology. He stated, “We could have set up anywhere in the world, but we chose Qatar because of its strong support for fintech, research, and Islamic finance. The alignment was perfect.”
Martin Schulze, co-founder of German supply chain startup BlueBox, emphasized the MENA region’s potential. He said, “The market here is dynamic, with many young innovators. I think this is sometimes underestimated in Europe, and it’s something I will pursue here.”
Several startups also discovered unexpected business opportunities in Qatar. By Kids to Kids, a Finnish education-tech company, acknowledged that the Gulf market had not been on their radar before. However, they saw the summit as an eye-opening experience.
For many participants, the networking aspect was a game-changer. Werner Botha from South Africa’s Artfundi shared, “The connections I’ve made here are invaluable. I even met a competitor who turned out to be a great potential partner.”
The Startup Qatar Pavilion played a crucial role in facilitating business expansion. It provided startups with access to immediate business registration, funding opportunities, and key resources. As a result, 1,634 companies registered for a presence in Qatar, and 156 business licenses were issued during the event.
For some, the summit was a gateway to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Nigerian fintech startup Flick’s representative, Raiser Olwande, described the experience as a turning point. He said, “This summit has opened growth opportunities for us. We’ve already started the paperwork to set up an entity here.”
Web Summit Qatar 2025 reaffirmed the country’s commitment to fostering a thriving tech ecosystem. This directly aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 and its Third National Development Strategy.
