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GSMA MWC25 Doha To Accelerate Middle East’s Digital Future
Qatar is gearing up to host a gathering of global tech leaders focused on driving digital transformation, innovation, and collaboration across the Middle East.
Preparations are well underway for MWC25 Doha, the highly anticipated premiere edition of the GSMA’s prestigious Mobile World Congress (MWC) series in Qatar. Scheduled for 25-26 November 2025 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC), the event promises to be a pivotal gathering for industry leaders, innovators, startups, and policymakers aiming to shape the future of digital societies in the Middle East and globally.
Announced as Qatar accelerates its transformation into a leading global digital hub, MWC25 Doha will spotlight emerging technologies, foster international collaboration, and showcase groundbreaking technical solutions. Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, emphasized the strategic importance of hosting MWC, highlighting its role in strengthening Qatar’s digital influence and facilitating meaningful global partnerships.
MWC25 Doha’s rich conference program will address key topics crucial for the region’s digital advancement, including AI, intelligent economies, connected industries, 5G infrastructure, fintech, cybersecurity, smart mobility, data infrastructure, and IoT solutions. Attendees can expect thought-provoking keynotes, high-level summits, and focused discussions guided by global tech experts and visionaries.
“MWC25 Doha marks a significant milestone in fulfilling Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030 and the broader goals of Qatar National Vision 2030,” said H.E. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Qatar. “This event demonstrates Qatar’s unwavering commitment to establishing itself as a regional hub for digital innovation and building a future-ready, knowledge-based economy”.
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GSMA’s Director General, Vivek Badrinath, underscored Qatar’s strategic importance as the MWC’s regional host city: “Doha exemplifies the Middle East’s leadership in creating advanced digital societies. Qatar’s dynamic initiatives in 5G, AI-driven infrastructure, smart cities, and sustainability investments make MWC25 Doha an essential experience for technology stakeholders globally”.
As the Middle East continues its rapid journey of digital transformation, MWC25 Doha provides a unique platform to accelerate collaboration and drive technological innovation to shape the region’s future.
For more information and updates, visit the official MWC25 Doha website.
News
Trip.com Is Betting An AI Agent Will Book Your Next Vacation
Abu Dhabi, Jazeera Airways and a run of hotel deals give the company more inventory. Its Mastercard demo says the most about where booking technology is headed.
Most of what Trip.com Group announced at Arabian Travel Market 2026 this week reads like the standard expansion playbook of an online travel agency: a new agreement with a tourism board, a run of hotel partnerships, an airline deal. However, one item was considerably more interesting: a demonstration built with Mastercard of an AI agent that doesn’t just suggest trips but also pays for them.
The showcase put TripGenie, the company’s AI travel assistant, to work searching, selecting and completing purchases inside a single booking flow, with Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants handling the payment step and Network International processing the transactions on the merchant side. It’s limited for now to attractions and ancillary services, but the partners plan a phased commercial rollout from early 2027.
“As traveller expectations change, technology and AI will play an increasingly important role in how people plan their journeys,” says Schubert Lou, CEO of Trip.com.
Meanwhile, in more conventional news, CEO Lou and Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry (Director General for Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi), signed an agreement building on the two organizations’ existing partnership, with joint marketing and Abu Dhabi destination content to be pushed across Trip.com Group’s platforms.
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On accommodation, the group expanded its partnerships with JA Hotels & Resorts, Ishraq Hospitality and Aleph Hospitality and deepened its work with Silkhaus, which brings vacation homes into a portfolio that has so far leaned on hotels. Jazeera Airways signed a strategic partnership intended to widen the Kuwaiti carrier’s reach and encourage earlier bookings, tied to Kuwait’s own tourism ambitions.
The company moved into a larger Dubai office earlier this year and describes its long-term aim as a two-way ecosystem: sending Middle East travelers abroad while drawing international visitors in.
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