World Summit AI Qatar returns to the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) on December 9 and 10, 2025, marking the second edition of the landmark artificial intelligence gathering in the Gulf nation. The event is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, State of Qatar (MCIT).
The summit brings together the global AI ecosystem spanning enterprise, startups, academia, policymakers, and investors to address urgent questions surrounding the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence. The platform spotlights the systems, stakes, and shifts shaping the AI-driven future while reflecting Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030 and its leadership in advancing ethical, inclusive, and transformative AI across sectors.
Duha Al Buhendi, Digital Society and Digital Competencies Director at MCIT, emphasized that Qatar is shaping a regional model for responsible and inclusive AI adoption that places human progress and innovation at its core. Through partnerships like World Summit AI, the country continues connecting global expertise with national ambition to build a future where technology empowers every individual and sector across society, she stated.
The 2025 summit theme, “A Brave New World: Building the Future with AI,” features 10 tracks and 4 stages with over 100 world-class speakers from leading global institutions. Confirmed speakers include H.E. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, Simon See, Global Head of NVIDIA AI Technology Centre at NVIDIA, and Chris Stephens, Vice President and Field Chief Technology Officer at Groq.
Other notable participants include Lucia Velasco, Head of AI Policy at the United Nations, James Sayles, Chief AI Officer and Director of Global Governance Risk and Compliance at Halliburton, and Mohamed Shaaban, Director of AI Product at Scale AI. Regional leaders such as Nour Al Hassan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tarjama and Arabic.AI, will also address attendees.
The speaker lineup extends to industry specialists including Santiago Bañales Lopez, Managing Director and CEO of Iberdrola Innovation Middle East, Cobus Greyling, Chief Evangelist at Kore.ai, Jesper Schleimann, AI Officer for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at SAP, and Nikita Gordeev, Chief Technology Officer at Snoonu. Financial technology and policy experts like Rajarshi Gupta, former Head of AI at Coinbase, and Jean-Marc Rickli, Head of Global and Emerging Risks at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, will share insights.
Key themes for 2025 include Frontier AI, exploring breakthroughs in artificial general intelligence, robotics, encrypted learning, and multimodal systems. The Next Generation Infrastructure track addresses the compute race, data centers, and regional AI infrastructure challenges. Accelerating AI Adoption showcases how enterprises and governments are implementing solutions at pace and achieving real return on investment.
Future Energy sessions will demonstrate how AI accelerates sustainability, grid optimization, and decarbonization efforts. The Responsible AI track shapes regulation and governance models rooted in transparency and cultural compatibility, while The Global AI Edge positions the Gulf as a vital AI hub connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Maisie Holder, Managing Director of World Summit AI and InspiredMinds, said returning to Doha alongside MCIT underscores shared commitment to shaping an AI future that is strategic, ethical, and globally competitive. The MENA region is moving at extraordinary speed, and together organizers are building a blueprint for responsible, world-leading innovation, she stated.
The summit arrives at a pivotal moment for the region. The Middle East and North Africa artificial intelligence market size is expected to reach 166.3 billion US dollars by 2030. Qatar, through MCIT, continues playing an active role in advancing innovation, digital infrastructure, and knowledge exchange across sectors.
The event will explore how AI can power new economies, enable inclusive education, and tackle real-world challenges from water security to urban mobility. Organizers describe World Summit AI Qatar 2025 as a platform where bold ideas become global collaborations rather than just another AI event.
InspiredMinds is the world’s largest and most active community in artificial intelligence and emerging technology, uniting over 500,000 members across 167 countries. The organization’s mission is to act as a catalyst for national and international strategies that leverage AI for human progress. InspiredMinds creates the World Summit AI series held in Amsterdam, San Francisco, Montreal, and Doha, as well as Intelligent Health in Basel and London, the world’s leading event series dedicated to AI in medicine.
MCIT leads Qatar’s national efforts to develop a vibrant and future-ready Information and Communication Technology sector. The Ministry’s mandate focuses on accelerating the adoption of advanced technologies and digital solutions across all sectors to drive innovation, productivity, and economic competitiveness. Through strategic programs and initiatives, MCIT works to strengthen the digital ecosystem, promote digital entrepreneurship, support the development of a knowledge-based economy, and enhance digital infrastructure nationwide.
