Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani opened Web Summit Qatar 2026 by announcing a major expansion of the Qatar Investment Authority’s Fund of Funds programme, adding $2 billion to its initial $1 billion commitment to attract global venture capital firms and accelerate startup growth in the country.
The Prime Minister outlined a series of incentives aimed at positioning Qatar as a global hub for founders and tech talent, including 10-year residency permits for entrepreneurs, high-performance compute credits for startups, and a fast-track process allowing company formation, banking, and residency setup within days. He also highlighted an eightfold expansion of Qatar Development Bank’s startup program after registrations doubled in the past year.
With 1,600 startups attending the summit — 85% from outside Qatar — the event underscored Qatar’s growing role in the global tech ecosystem. Speakers emphasized the shift toward a more multipolar technology landscape, with innovation increasingly distributed across regions.
