Doha: The US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) convened government officials, investors, and private-sector leaders on Tuesday to explore strategies for accelerating Qatar’s startup, innovation, and investment ecosystem.
Held under the theme “Qatar as a Regional Innovation Hub: Accelerating the Startup Ecosystem in Qatar,” the event focused on identifying evidence-based opportunities to support entrepreneurship and attract investment in line with the country’s Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy.
A key highlight of the event was the launch of the “Qatar Startup Ecosystem Study: A Roadmap to Accelerate the Ecosystem,” jointly produced by USQBC Doha and the IFC. The report presents a comprehensive assessment of Qatar’s startup landscape and offers practical recommendations aimed at strengthening the country’s position as a regional center for innovation, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and high-growth investment.
In her opening remarks, USQBC Doha Managing Director Sheikha Mayes bint Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Thani emphasized the importance of translating dialogue into tangible economic outcomes.
“The Council is focused on activating private-sector opportunities and moving capital, talent, and ideas from discussion to commitment,” she said, noting that Qatar’s startup ecosystem represents a critical area where such activation can deliver significant impact.
She added that the study provides an evidence-based framework for engaging the private sector, identifying areas of investment readiness, addressing institutional gaps, and highlighting Qatar’s unique competitive advantages both regionally and globally. “These findings must be transformed into deals, partnerships, and sustainable growth,” she stressed.
For her part, World Bank Group Country Manager for Qatar Holly Welborn Benner described startups as key drivers of innovation, job creation, and future economic growth.
She noted that Qatar’s ambition to become a regional hub for entrepreneurship and venture capital is supported by the report’s recommendations, which focus on unlocking entrepreneurial talent, improving startup scalability and quality, expanding investment capacity, strengthening collaboration with research and academic institutions, and fostering sector-specific specialization.
Highlighting the role of collaboration across the innovation ecosystem, QNB Group Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate and Institutional Banking Khalid Al Sada said that building a globally competitive startup environment requires strong partnerships among financial institutions, investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs.
He underscored the importance of access to capital, institutional support, and cross-sector cooperation in helping startups scale and contribute to long-term economic growth, reaffirming QNB Group’s commitment to advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, and private-sector development in support of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The event forms part of ongoing cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between USQBC Doha and the IFC, a partnership aimed at promoting evidence-based dialogue, strengthening private-sector engagement, and identifying actionable opportunities that support Qatar’s economic diversification and innovation-driven development goals.
