Reiterating what the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai had said, “AI may become more profound than fire or electricity.” Artificial Intelligence, in all probabilities, is becoming an economic arsenal for most countries around the world today, including the West Asian country that sits on the Arabian Peninsula. Yes, we’re talking about Qatar, the country with one of the richest economies in the world. With a blueprint already in place to set the nation in the right direction, Qatar has joined the AI revolution among other leading countries of the world.

For what can serve as a powerful technological enabler for the Qatar National Vision 2030, the country could harness all the innovation narratives around future cutting edge technologies from top experts to make this vision a reality.

Talk about a festival that celebrates the value of future technologies. That is exactly what Qatar Innovation Week aims to deliver this November 2019. In what is going to be one of the biggest, grandest and most flamboyant technology festivals for avid tech enthusiasts, and for the best interest of Qatar - governments, enterprises, sports, investors, researchers, academicians, policymakers, startups and solution providers, the 3-day comprehensive innovation festival will centre on three separate technology events in a row that include World 5G Show (Inaugural edition under the theme of ‘5G Rollout to Propel Qatar’s Goal’), World AI Show (As part of the global series, WAIS is to be introduced in Qatar this year for the first time) and the Industry 4.0 Masterclass by Henrik von Scheel, all in all to usher Qatar towards producing world-class AI applications in areas of national interest.

Given that the 2022 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner and the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world, Qatar-the host country is reinvigorating its AI-enabled infrastructure to accommodate the massive influx of visitors for the upcoming world cup. By synergizing artificial intelligence-based applications and the power of 5G technology in areas such as transportation, logistics and live video streaming -  immersive Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) of the game to enhance viewing experience, Qatar Innovation Week is designed with the specific goal of stimulating strategies among stakeholders to catalyse the creation of AI-based solutions.

When asked about the inspiration behind such an ambitious project, the CEO and founder of Trescon, Mohammed Saleem said, “Qatar is the first nation to launch the 5G network commercially, and with the 2022 FIFA World Cup that is set to take place, it is the perfect time to create a platform that can drive opportunities for new businesses based on AI and 5G technology. Qatar Innovation Week will support the Qatar National Vision 2030 by bringing together governments, AI solutions providers, renowned international experts and foreign investors to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure capacity.”

In a bid to attract the world’s brightest minds from across the globe, Qatar’s first edition of World AI Show will also play host to the regional finals of the Startup World Cup, organised in association with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based multinational VC firm. There will be 40+ regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, leading up to the Grand Finale in the US Silicon Valley, where the global champion will be awarded a US$ 1 million investment prize.