The inaugural World Summit AI Qatar 2024 (WSAI) concluded with resounding success, marking a significant milestone in the global AI landscape. Under the patronage of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the summit witnessed an impressive turnout of industry leaders, policymakers, and AI enthusiasts from around the world.
H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the opening ceremony, accompanied by Their Excellencies the ministers and several officials. The conference commenced with an opening speech by Sarah Porter, CEO and Founder of InspiredMinds, the summit organizer.
Embracing a forward-thinking approach to technological development, World Summit AI Qatar 2024 theme, “Putting Humanity at the Heart of AI,” set the tone for a series of presentations and insightful discussions.
Qatar leads in Arabic AI development
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, inaugurated the Arab Artificial Intelligence Project – Fanar. Developed in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, Fanar focuses on accurately representing Arabic language and culture in AI, addressing the limitations of existing models primarily trained on English data. This initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
PwC showcases leadership in AI innovation
PwC Middle East, a headline partner, showcased its leadership in AI innovation. Their booth featured cutting-edge technology and highlighted advancements in AI and digital transformation. A keynote address explored how AI is revolutionizing decision-making for smarter, faster choices. PwC also hosted a workshop on AI’s impact on asset development, focusing on predictive analytics and design optimization. They led discussions on the future of work with an augmented workforce and the ethical considerations of AI.
Kaveh Vessali, Partner, Cognitive Cities Lead at PwC Middle East, commented “The World Summit AI is a strategic mega-summit that comes to Qatar at a crucial time within Qatar’s transformation journey as it takes strides within its third National Development Strategy.” He continued, “Our participation demonstrates our commitment to support our clients in their digital transformation journeys and to ensure that the outcomes we deliver are sustainable and transparent, through our execution offering.”
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), in collaboration with its governmental and academic partners, organized the “Qatar AI Pavilion.” This pavilion brought together a distinguished group of leading national entities, including the Ministry of Labour, the Supreme Judiciary Council, Qatar Tourism, Qatar Public Prosecution, and Qatar University. It showcased a range of innovative initiatives aimed at positioning Qatar as a regional leader in artificial intelligence by leveraging advanced technologies to drive digital transformation and support the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. At the World Summit AI Qatar, the Supreme Judicial Council showcased the Smart Judicial Assistant, an AI tool that helps judges efficiently retrieve and analyse legal precedents through case summaries, comparisons, and an integrated Chatbot. This innovative platform supports judicial decision-making by streamlining data collection and providing reliable references.
Qatar’s Public Prosecution has implemented innovative AI technologies to enhance legal services. Their generative AI-powered digital assistant “Musa’ed” has processed 9,000 legal inquiries for over 4,000 users, providing easy access to legal information. The organization uses an AI-driven system to analyse money laundering reports and identify suspicious financial patterns. A Virtual Reality training system simulates crime scene scenarios for new prosecution assistants, allowing them to explore and collect evidence with real-time feedback. They are also developing a Spatial AI Mapping system to analyse and predict crime distribution geographically. These advancements support national security strategies and improve the efficiency of legal processes in Qatar.
AppLab unveils AI Avatar and Chatbot
Applab Qatar emphasized their commitment to advancing AI adoption across both private and public sectors. AppLab unveiled an AI Avatar (Ai.sha) for InvestQatar and a Chatbot (Botania) for Qatar Foundation at the summit.
Meeza signs three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU)
During the summit, three Memorandums of Understanding were signed between Meeza, Cytomate, SambaNova technologies, and iHorizons, promising to accelerate AI innovation in the region.
Supported by industry leaders
World Summit AI Qatar was proudly supported by IBM – Strategic Partner, Al Jazeera – Headline Global Media Partner, PwC – Headline Partner and Airia – Global Partner. The conference welcomed key organisations including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Cisco, Qatar Science & Technology Park, QuantumBlack, ScaleAI and several others.
Sarah Porter, CEO and Founder of InspiredMinds commented, “World Summit AI Qatar is a strategic milestone in positioning the region at the forefront of global AI innovation. We’re not just discussing technology; we’re bringing together diverse global perspectives. We’re reimagining how AI can drive meaningful progress across industries and cultures, right here in Doha.”
World Summit AI Qatar concluded with H.E. Sheikh Mansoor bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Founder and Chairman of MBK Holding and Chairman of Tamkeen, providing his closing remarks and wrapping up World Summit AI Qatar. The summit set a new standard for AI innovation and collaborative potential in the Middle East. The summit has not only showcased groundbreaking technological advancements but has also reinforced Qatar’s commitment to positioning itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
