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Web Summit Expands With New Middle East Event In Qatar
Thousands of attendees from around the world will gather at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in March 2024.
Today, the world’s largest technology conference, Web Summit, announced the launch of a new event in the Middle East, titled Web Summit Qatar, to be held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) in March 2024.
The tech expo will be the first of its kind in Qatar, and will bring together thousands of entrepreneurs and investors from around the globe, as well as the next generation of startups disrupting the tech landscape.
The Middle Eastern event is part of Web Summit’s ongoing strategy to widen its reach into new regions and economies, and will provide a wealth of opportunities to connect the global tech community.
After receiving bids from several regional cities, Web Summit chose Doha as the new event’s host. Web Summit plans to deepen existing relationships in the region through Web Summit Qatar, which will run for at least five years.
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“Web Summit in Lisbon has become the world’s largest technology conference, and our ambition is to make Web Summit ever more global. Establishing a new event in the Middle East is part of that broader plan for Web Summit,” says CEO of Web Summit Paddy Cosgrave.
Qatar’s technology sector is evolving rapidly, with a thriving start-up scene supported by both the government and the private sector. The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2021 ranks Qatar 28th globally for its capacity for innovation, ahead of other countries in the region. Qatar is a heavy investor in its technology infrastructure, with projects focusing on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cybersecurity.
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LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
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“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
