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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.

Published

1 year ago

June 9, 2025

Nour Nasir

gsma mwc25 doha to accelerate middle east's digital future

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”.

Also Read: UAE Introduces Region’s First License For “Finfluencers”

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.

Related Topics:GSMA Mobile World Congress Qatar

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Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

2 days ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.