Doha: Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and its affiliated departments participated in the third edition of Web Summit Qatar 2026, with a strong presence from leading experts and founders of startups within the Foundation's ecosystem. The summit featured several technology projects founded by graduates of Qatar Foundation's educational system, with 20 startups presenting their innovations to investors and stakeholders.
According to Qatar News Agency, these companies included projects founded by graduates of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a member of Qatar Foundation, and the Foundation's partner universities. Their fields ranged from health and education to sustainability, finance, and cybersecurity. Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation, showcased its efforts in supporting entrepreneurship and innovation by highlighting 54 startups incubated within its ecosystem at its dedicated pavilion at Web Summit Qatar 2026.
QSTP also participated in judging the summit's pitch competition and offered an advanced course on artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, it organized a side event discussing the pioneering role of women in technology development and investment. President of QSTP Rama Al Shaqqi took part in a session discussing the region's emergence as a global driver of AI infrastructure, advanced technology, and intellectual property development.
As part of Qatar Foundation's participation in the summit, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), one of the foundation's global initiatives, organized sessions in collaboration with the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRIDC). These sessions focused on the role of EdTech companies in bridging the gap between learning outcomes and economic results, as well as discussions on inclusive education through technology, featuring speakers from the WISE Accelerator program.
WISE collaborated with Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) on a panel discussion exploring the potential of "precision learning," powered by artificial intelligence, data, and adaptive technologies, to build inclusive and scalable education systems that reach underserved communities. This collaboration is set to continue beyond Web Summit Qatar 2026 through a training program at QSTP to support the development of educational technology solutions within the WISE Accelerator program.
In the healthcare innovation sector, the summit featured the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a Qatar Foundation Global Health initiative, in a panel discussion highlighting Qatar's rapidly growing technology-driven healthcare ecosystem. The panel covered research and innovation, investment and partnerships, and developments in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology. Participants included representatives from the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRID), the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, the Ministry of Public Health, and several other national entities and specialized companies.
Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future, a member of Qatar Foundation, participated in the summit by organizing a panel discussion on the environmental challenges facing cities in hot and arid regions and the smart and innovative technological solutions to address them. It also participated in an innovation session showcasing a pilot project for air quality monitoring, supported by the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council, and its role in supporting sustainability efforts at the Qatar Foundation and State of Qatar levels.
The center organized a session on industrial policies for green economic diversification in Qatar and the GCC. Hamad Bin Khalifa University also organized sessions and presentations at the summit showcasing technologies developed in its colleges and research institutes, along with the participation of several Qatar Foundation partner universities, including Northwestern University in Qatar and HEC Paris in Doha.
Reaffirming Qatar Foundation's commitment to fostering a culture of volunteerism within the community, a team of 30 volunteers from the Foundation's community participated in supporting the organization of Web Summit Qatar 2026, which brought together leading entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators from around the world in Doha.