Doha, Qatar
04 March 2017:
(QDB)

In the interest of furthering the development of a knowledge-based national economy, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) announced its sponsorship of the upcoming fourth edition of the Qatar ICT Conference and Exhibition – QITCOM 2017. The networking conference will be held at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) from 6 – 8 March, under the theme: “Qatar – towards a smart future.”

QDB’s sponsorship for the nation’s biggest digital event is in line with its ambition to empower Qatari entrepreneurs and innovators to spearhead the development of the local smart technology industry.

Commenting on the development agency’s latest event sponsorship, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al-Khalifa said: “We, at QDB, are excited to sponsor QITCOM 2017 – this networking exhibition and conference strongly reinforces our organizational objective of promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and learning to transform Qatar into a vibrant knowledge-based economy. In the days to come, our national economic success will lie in our ability to embrace the fast pace of development in the world of technology, strengthen our connectivity with one another and the markets around us, and truly immerse ourselves in the digital age.”

He said “QDB has always supported events and trade fairs that help local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) achieve success – this is because we firmly believe that it is in their success where we will find ours as a nation. By encouraging the diversification of our national income sources, we empower the private sector to create employment opportunities for young entrepreneurs and allow the members of our society to become more integral in steering the direction of the economy for a prosperous future.”

Notably, Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC), a mixed-use entrepreneur development center founded by QDB, will also sponsor the conference. To this end, three QBIC mentors designated by the center will assist in the development programs scheduled to be held for young computer programmers during the QITCOM conference and serve as panelists during the competitions.

CEO, Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC), Aysha Al Mudahka said “We are delighted join QDB’s sponsorship of the fourth Qatar ICT Conference and Exhibition: QITCOM 2017. This exhibition provides a truly welcome opportunity for international experts, industry specialists, key government decision-makers as well as innovators and entrepreneurs in the technology sector to come together and exchange ideas. We are confident that QITCOM will help SMEs forge strong partnerships that will help us all develop and promote Brand Qatar in the field of digital technology, across the local and global markets, in the days to come.”

This event sponsorship is the latest in a series of collaborative initiatives launched by QDB in recent days. To strengthen the private sector, QDB co-organized and co-sponsored a number of local exhibitions, such as the upcoming 2nd Government Procurement & Contracting Conference and Exhibition – Moushtarayat, scheduled to take place in April, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance (MoF). Additionally, to promote the private sector, QDB extends wide-ranging financial and non-financial support to local entrepreneurs and SMEs across a myriad of industries.

QITCOM 2017 is amongst the largest digital exhibitions in the Middle East. Furthermore, it is identified as having direct relevance to the advancement of the regional telecommunications sector, with participation open to all citizens, business owners, technology experts, government officials and entrepreneurs.

This year, the event is projected to host more than 90 exhibitors, 35 start-ups, including 20 local Qatari companies, at QNCC’s 15,000 m2 arena. The upcoming event is expected to attract more than 13,000 visitors and participants.

The focus of QITCOM 2017 will be on smart solutions and services within the five key sectors of the economy selected for their contribution to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030: transport, environment, health, sports, and logistics.