Our Tech Trends editorial pages offer a preview into the technology topics lined up for the stage at MWC Doha. This article takes a look at how the telecoms sector is using AI to enhance network performance in Qatar and across the MENA region, along with some of the investments, partnerships and innovations making this happen.
Find out more about our dedicated AI-Powered Telcos summit.
Telecoms networks have become more than just physical conduits which allow us to communicate; they are the circulatory systems of the world’s smart cities.
Recent World Bank internet rankings show that only seven countries have been able to extend the reach of their data circulatory systems to achieve internet permeation in 100% of the population; five of them are in the MENA region (Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait).
This universal connectivity means the ability to deliver AI-enabled services everywhere, to everyone, making emerging services accessible at scale and multiplying opportunities for connected lifestyles and economies.
Meeting demand in MENA’s fast-evolving telecoms landscape
Reflecting global trends, the regional AI industry is experiencing rapid, large-scale growth, propelled by government investment in digital transformation agendas and a huge appetite for generative tools. This ballooning demand for AI needs robust infrastructure: data centres, semiconductors and reliable, high-speed connectivity.
Better mobilisation of AI solutions is frequently best served by AI-enabled tools and the Qatari telecoms sector is already optimising its network with artificial intelligence tools for anomaly detection, traffic management and capacity prediction.
The MENA AI market is projected to reach $34.18b by 2030, up from $7.58b in 2024, a 350% growth in six years.
Ooredoo-led innovation and technology partnerships
Across the board in MENA, telcos are rapidly deploying AI to reduce outages, manage operational costs and support IoT demand. According to a recent e&/IBM report, cloud adoption and intelligent networks are top priorities for telecoms CEOs in the Middle East and North Africa.
At the centre of the innovation groundswell, regional GSMA member and Qatar’s principal telecoms provider – Ooredoo – has established itself as a market leader in technology. Ooredoo’s aim is to develop AI-ready cloud platforms and accelerate computing capabilities not just for Doha and Qatar, but for neighbours and nations across the MENA region.
Ooredoo entered the world’s top ten telecoms operator value creators in Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) 2025 Telco Value Creators Report
A snapshot of capability building from just the last few years shows a strategy geared towards consumer-driven innovation and wide-reaching knowledge share that is flexing the boundaries of technological possibilities.
- Enhancing API enablement through the GSMA: using the GSMA Open Gateway and Google’s APIGEE API Management platform, Ooredoo is empowering developers to build secure, interoperable digital services and create new revenue streams across sectors such as fintech, travel and mobility.
- SMB marketplace: a dedicated marketplace hosted on Google Cloud will offer digital tools and services to help Qatari businesses grow in the digital economy.
- Kloudville B2B digital marketplace: Ooredoo Group and Kloudville are building a digital marketplace that integrates AI-powered tools, cloud services, cybersecurity solutions, and enterprise software into one platform, streamlining access and capability for business customers.
- Chat service partnership: Ooredoo has teamed up with Microsoft and Infobip to bring AI Hub’s conversational AI tools to the local market, helping businesses to personalise engagement and boost communications.
- Data centre investment: Ooredoo has committed $1b to expand Qatar’s data centre capacity to 120MW within five years.
- Nvidia GPUS in sovereign data centres: Qatar’s newest AI cloud services built on Hopper technology are hosted locally to deliver compliant, low-latency, high-performance computing for critical national sectors including energy, finance, logistics, healthcare and smart city development.
- Nvidia GPUs in regional data centres: plans are underway to install thousands of Tensor Core GPUs in Ooredoo AI data centres, giving startups and governments across MENA access to high-performance computing.
- AI Centre of Excellence in Kuwait: Ooredoo Kuwait is focused on building networks capable of self-learning and autonomous decision making, delivering customised services in real time.
AI is expected to boost Qatar’s GDP by 2.3% by 2030, creating 26,000 new jobs and generating $11 billion in economic value.
Nvidia’s partnership with Ooredoo was the chipmaker’s first large-scale presence in the Middle Eastern market.
AI-powered telecoms connecting people, data and government
Qatar’s TASMU smart city and eGovernment initiative is transforming digital strategy into day-to-day improvements for residents. Reliable, ultra-fast telecommunications are essential to the TASMU platform and Qatar’s citywide digital frameworks, which are dependent on continuous connectivity for real-time data collection and service delivery in priority sectors.
In the wider MENA region, telcos are working hard to support national digital policies. Operators are investing in AI-powered upgrades and leveraging machine learning for maintenance, customer analytics and advanced cybersecurity. AI enhancement is rising across MENA in areas such as fraud detection, agriculture, energy, education and automated service platforms, with a beneficial impact on Middle East economies that could top $320 billion by 2030.
Funding in the region surged 66% year-on-year in 2024, with deal volume at an all-time high and one in five venture capital contracts involving AI startups.
What Qatar’s telecoms strategy tells us about future-ready nations
Thanks to early investment in infrastructure, public-private cooperation and alignment between telecoms development and government priorities, Qatar’s telecommunications industry is buoyant, with some market forecasts showing $6.8b for 2033. Responsible AI adoption with actionable frameworks and a forward-looking strategy is delivering value and Ooredoo has become a template for success for global telcos as the world rethinks the traditional operating model.
Digital transformation is at the heart of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and nowhere is this shown more strongly than in a commitment to nurture the network, turning connectivity into advanced capability. As demand surges for always-on connection, intelligent automation and real-time data exchange, Qatar is reinforcing its network to meet the future: a future in which the telecoms sector is the life force of wide-scale, technology-led prosperity.
Find out more about telecoms advances in the region and meet with your MENA counterparts at the inaugural MWC25 Doha event this November.