MoTC Launches the First Edition of Smart City Expo Doha During QITCOM 2019

29 September 2019, Doha – Qatar: The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has partnered with the organizers of Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), Fira de Barcelona to launch Smart City Expo Doha (SCE Doha). The event will take place between 30th October– 31st October 2019 at Qatar IT Conference & Exhibition 2019 (QITCOM 2019), under the theme, ‘Safe, Smart Cities’.

Smart City Expo is a global platform committed to promote awareness and understanding of smart cities and the development of smart initiatives for a sustainable future. Fira de Barcelona has previously hosted several editions of the Smart City Expo in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. Smart City Expo Doha, in its first edition in Qatar, aims to introduce innovative technologies to enhance the lives of citizens, residents and visitors through social inclusion, sustainability and empowerment.

Smart City Expo Doha will be hosting a number of speakers locally, regionally and internationally such as Mr. Michael Steep - Stanford Engineering Center for Disruptive Technology and Digital Cities - Executive Director - Palo Alto, California - United States of America, Ms. Larissa Suzuki - Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the Chair of the Tech London Advocates Smart Cities, Mr. Mikko Hypponen - Chief Research Officer - F-Secure Corporation - Helsinki - Finland and Mr. Robert Muggah - Co-Founder - Igarapé Institute - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. They will be addressing topics related to smart cities namely, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence and urban planning.

On the occasion, Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary for the Digital Society Development Sector at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, commented, “We are delighted to partner and co-ordinate with Fira de Barcelona which is one of the world's leading companies in this field to introduce the First Smart City Expo Doha this year. The partnership with Fira de Barcelona reflects our readiness for business dialogues and commitment towards bringing together global leaders and experts from various economic sectors to showcase innovative technologies.”

“Regionally and globally, Qatar has been on the frontlines of a major digital transformation towards safe smart cities. This has been proved to be true as the policy briefs issued by the Arab Monetary Fund showing that 43% of Qatar cities are smart cities. We believe that this event will be the biggest of its kind, as it will enrich the society with expertise from the global speakers and showcase Qatar’s efforts in creating an intelligent community via seamlessly integrating all economic sectors. As a knowledge-sharing platform for smart city ecosystems, the event aims to mediate conversations that will equip society for a digital future and promote a better understanding of Safe Smart Cities”, further added Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori.

The differentiating factor in this year’s QITCOM is that the winners will be incubated under the supervision and support of MOTC to ensure the implementation of the concept with the Use Case owners. Winners will be chosen at the final pitch day on 30th October, based on the concept, design, development and presentation; and the awards will include mentoring offers, incubation and projects.

Under the theme, ‘Safe Smart Cities’, QITCOM 2019 aims to catalyze the development of safe smart city solutions in Qatar and worldwide. The Entrepreneurship Zone is one of QITCOM’s five constituent zones, and is designed specifically to mentor entrepreneurs, investors and innovators as they exchange knowledge, expand their business ideas and network with other entrepreneurs and investors. The Entrepreneurship Zone consists of five primary activities for novice entrepreneurs, namely Startup Hub, CodeCamp, Make the Deal, IdeaCamp and Innovation Theatre, that work together in developing the most innovative and disruptive technologies.

Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary of Digital Society Development Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communication, said ‘At the fifth edition of Qatar IT Conference and Exhibition, we are committed to promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and learning, as they are integral to building a vibrant ICT sector and a knowledge-based economy. There are incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs and SMEs at the Entrepreneurship Zone where startups will be able to transform their innovative ideas into working prototypes. Activities such as CodeCamp provide a platform for entrepreneurs and SMEs to gain practical experience and the knowledge necessary in creating smart technological solutions for Qatar’s smart future.”

She further added, “Following the success of CodeCamp’s first edition where 12 teams were chosen to be incubated by Digital Incubation Centre (DIC), we are incredibly excited to witness the display of this year’s innovative and disruptive technological solutions. CodeCamp is the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs to exercise their skills through training sessions given by global experts and showcase their talent through intense competition. It is the ideal opportunity for startups to present the implementation of their pitches in a practical knowledge-sharing space. We are looking forward to the applications this year which are scheduled to close by 15th October 2019.”

QITCOM is the largest ICT event in Qatar, and a catalyst in creating a global investor-startup matchmaking network. Through past editions, the event has contributed to achieving Qatar’s National Vision 2030 as a technological showcase for a knowledge-based economy.