News
Zoho Expands Qatar Operations & Releases New Survey Data
The productivity platform has seen strong regional growth and increased demand for its cloud-based solutions.
Productivity and collaboration platform Zoho has announced the opening of its first office in Doha, Qatar, following significant regional growth. The company experienced a 29% increase in revenue while expanding its partner network by 50% in 2023.
Zoho’s remarkable growth in Qatar underscores the rising demand for its cloud-based business applications. The firm’s new office and strategic expansion should enable it to offer more tailored services while strengthening customer relationships.
Hyther Nizam, President of Zoho for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) stated: “We are excited about our continued success in Qatar […] The dynamic business landscape and progressive approach to digital transformation provide an ideal environment for our expansion. We are committed to supporting the country’s journey towards digitalization by offering cutting-edge solutions that cater to the evolving needs of businesses and contribute to national economic growth”.
Productivity & Collaboration Trends In Qatar
The announcement of a new local office was accompanied by news of a Zoho productivity and collaboration survey that revealed important insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses in Qatar, as well as local productivity and collaboration trends.

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Here are some of the key findings:
- Despite the shift towards hybrid and remote work post-pandemic, 60% of Qatari businesses have fully returned to on-site work, while 32% have adopted a hybrid model. Only 8% of respondents work fully remotely.
- The use of digital tools was widespread, with 51% of respondents using 1-5 apps daily, 31% using 5-10, and 18% using more than 10 apps.
- Unified task tracking was shown to save time, with 76% of those using it reporting savings of up to three hours. However, 77% of those manually tracking tasks or not tracking at all also noted potential time savings with a unified system.
- Access to information remains a challenge, with 25% of respondents reporting limited or no access, and 24% needing occasional help finding information.
- The survey highlighted a lag in technology adoption, with 72% of companies reporting no significant changes in the last two years, despite the competitive advantages of AI and automated workflows.
- Remote workers were more likely to adopt new technology and use a broader range of apps, but they struggled with data access. In contrast, hybrid and on-site workers expressed a greater need for improved collaboration tools and communication.
News
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.
Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.
The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.
Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.
Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.
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Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.
“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.
Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.
