New Home for All Media

The Middle East’s media landscape is expanding, driven by rising investment and a young, digitally active population. Over half of the GCC is under 25, creating demand for online content, streaming, gaming, and new storytelling formats. Across the wider MENA region, the media market is projected to grow from $17 billion in 2024 to more than $20 billion by 2028.

Qatar sits at the center of this growth. Its strategic location connects East and West, enabling companies to reach audiences in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is also one of the most digitally connected countries in the world, with 100 percent internet penetration. These factors make Doha a strong foundation for building and scaling media and creative innovation.

Media City Qatar is helping translate this momentum into real industry growth and collaboration.

Established by Amiri Decree in 2019, it has become a key part of the strategy to consolidate Doha’s role as a global hub for media, content creation, and innovation. Media City Qatar’s ecosystem brings together over 300 licensed companies, from local high-potential creative enterprises to international media brands, like CNN, Dow Jones, dpa, iHeart Media, Associated Press, AFP News Agency, and others, with a strong focus on Arabic language content and technology-enabled storytelling. Media City Qatar connects strategy with delivery, so global partners can land, build, and scale in a market.

This strategic positioning is reinforced through marquee partnerships and flagship events that bring global leaders, innovators, and media players to Doha, further contributing to Qatar’s role on the international stage. Media City Qatar is the Headline Partner for MWC25 Doha which reflects its role in convening industry leaders and advancing dialogue on the future of media and digital innovation.

A GLOBAL MEDIA HUB

A clear vision and strong fundamentals underpin Doha’s rise as a global media hub. The country’s stable economy, world-class infrastructure, and business-friendly policies have meant that major media and events businesses have seen Doha as an attractive destination for investment. Media City Qatar’s focus spans gaming, news, digital and social media, media technologies, content localization, animation, broadcasting, production and post-production, and publishing.

Media City Qatar supports this ecosystem by providing the infrastructure and services media businesses need to operate successfully. Companies benefit from tailored advisory support, fast licensing and permits, up to 100 percent foreign ownership, corporate tax rebates, zero customs duties, and incubation support. The hub has become a launchpad for media pioneers seeking to expand into Qatar and the wider Middle East.

RISE OF AI IN MEDIA

Another key driver shaping the global media industry is artificial intelligence, and Media City Qatar is positioning itself to respond.

That scale of change is why innovation sits at the heart of everything Media City Qatar does. Locally, the AI market is expected to reach $565 million in 2025, and PwC projects substantial AI-driven economic gains for the Middle East by 2030. With Google Cloud, Media City Qatar launched ‘Qatar ArtBeat’ on Qatar National Day 2024, an AI-powered artwork co-created by the public; more than 15,000 contributions helped set a Guinness World Records™ title for “Most People Contributing to an AI-generated Image, reaching over 5.4 million people and generating more than 68,000 engagements.

At the 2025 ‘Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg’, Media City Qatar introduced ‘The Next, On Air’, an AI-assisted daily podcast that condensed hours of content from hundreds of speakers into short Arabic and English episodes. The result is a new way of experiencing MICE events, where insights remain accessible whether you are in the room or not.

WHERE NEXT IN MEDIA BEGINS

For Media City Qatar, the priority is to shape an environment where new voices and established institutions can coexist and grow.

Media City Qatar’s goal is to create the conditions where innovation can flourish, as the media industry evolves.