Strategic communications agency BLJ Worldwide, headquartered in Doha, is launching its first umbrella study into the current state of the technology industry across Arabic countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The ‘MENA Tech 2023: Mapping the Technology Landscape’ report is one of the first in the region to bring together various topics within the space, from fintech to gaming, to take an overarching, ‘state-of-the-region’ look at the MENA technology sector.
The 50 plus page report, which examines eighteen countries was commissioned to explore the strength of exciting recent technological advancements in many MENA markets and has been compiled through a combination of desk research, sentiment analysis and expert opinion.
Justin Kerr-Stevens, CEO, BLJ Worldwide commented: “MENA’s tech industry has come a long way in the last decade driven by significant investment and global moments like the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and Expo 2020. With visits from the founder of Chat GPT, and sovereign wealth fund investments in Twitter and other tech unicorns, our report paints a picture of a diverse and rapidly evolving region. Once a relatively disparate collection of markets that largely followed the lead of economies such as the US and China, today MENA is a region that is recognised not only for its potential investment in tech but as a market that has its own distinct technological identity.”
Qatar a Regional Tech Haven
Boasting one of the most connected populations on the planet (99% of residents have access to the internet ) and Vodafone Qatar, the world’s fastest mobile network, Qatar has been named as one of the region’s top ‘technology hotspots’ in the extensive report. It shares the top five with the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain.
In particular, Qatar has been recognised for its world-leading approach to Fintech and cutting-edge research and development facilities, such as Qatar Science & Technology Park.
The report features expertise and commentary from a range of spokespeople within the Qatari tech scene. Notable mentions include Nayef Al-Ibrahim, CEO of Ibtechar, founder of fintech startup CWallet Michael Javier, Investment Director of Qatar Science & Technology Park Dr. Danny Ramadan, and leading local esports player Ahmad Al Meghessib.
Michael Javier, CEO, CWallet commented: “The MENA region is bursting at the seams with tech talent, funding and resources. The time is now to assert ourselves on the global stage as a technological force in our own right.”