Qatar is adopting more innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technology across a number of services, particularly in the business sector, building on the digital advances the State has made over the past several years. This is making Qatar a leader in AI adoption, both regionally and globally, as it embraces technology and AI, promotes research, and fosters innovation to fulfil Qatar National Vision 2030.

AI Technology at the Ministry of Labour

The Ministry of Labour (MoL) has announced it will use AI to develop and streamline services. This AI technology will see the MoL boosting the management of the labour sector, refine operations, and importantly, increase customer satisfaction.

Aligning with Qatar National Development Strategy, the MoL’s move towards digital services includes initiatives in cloud technology, the use of AI, and the implementation of general digital transformations, led by the Transformation Management Office. The Ministry is the first in the Middle East to utilise A100 GPUs (graphics processing unit), and started a cloud transition journey in November 2022 on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

The Ministry’s primary platform will host labour market information, requiring sophisticated machine learning and natural language processing models to handle inquiries relating to Qatar’s labour laws and to develop a system that supports the workforce.

Qatari Diar introduces AI-powered call centre

One of the leading companies in the real estate sector, Qatari Diar has launched an AI-powered call centre in Lusail City. The new call centre will employ AI technology as the company’s commitment to its customers, providing advanced services via phone calls, chatting, and messages on apps like WhatsApp. This provides immediate assistance and accurate information, which is expected to improve productivity and efficiency, enabling customer service staff to handle greater numbers of enquiries.

Invest Qatar launches Ai.SHA, an Azure Open AI GPT-powered chatbot

The Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar) has partnered with Microsoft to develop Ai.SHA, an innovative AI-powered assistant harnessing GPT capabilities through the Azure OpenAI service – GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, an advanced type of AI that uses a deep learning model to generate human-like text. This ground breaking initiative sees Invest Qatar as one of the first investment promotion agencies (IPA) in the world to adopt advanced technology.

Ai.SHA reaffirms Invest Qatar’s commitment to advance cutting-edge digital offerings, and comes after the launch of the Invest Qatar Gateway, a free online resource for foreign investors and companies searching for new business partnerships, opportunities in the public and private sectors, and essential resources for the development of businesses in Qatar. Ai.SHA is a comprehensive resource for enquiries about Qatar’s business opportunities, investment ecosystem, business setup and expansion, and much more. Data is from partner entities, including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Qatar Financial Centre, Qatar Science and Technology Park, and Qatar Free Zones Authority.

The Ai.SHA initiative builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Invest Qatar and Microsoft in 2023. The launch has also been supported by Information & Communication Technology WLL (ICT), a Microsoft partner, and Applab, a Qatari company specialising in online platform development. ICT designed and implemented the chatbot’s foundational framework – complex natural language processing algorithms, conversation flows, data integration, etc – while Applab enhanced the chatbot’s user interface and integration with the website. Invest Qatar’s in-depth research and data verification created Ai.SHA’s distinctive visual identity.

Huawei HBKU AI ICT Academy Lab inauguration

Huawei Technologies and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently inaugurated the Huawei HBKU AI ICT Academy Lab. The state-of-the-art facility fuses innovation and education, embracing technological advancements and nurturing talent in the fields of AI and ICT.

The lab is a result of an MoU signed between Huawei Technologies and HBKU, utilising Huawei’s expertise in ICT and cutting-edge technology, and HBKU’s responsibility to academic excellence and research-driven learning. The Huawei HBKU AI ICT Academy Lab will offer specialised training programmes, workshops and certification courses to empower students and industry professionals in the rapidly evolving fields of AI and ICT. Huawei will provide comprehensive support, like curriculum development, training materials, and access to their expertise in AI and ICT. The partnership will bridge the gap between academia and industry, allowing participants to acquire practical skills in the rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Artificial Intelligence In Qatar

In accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030, AI is being used to promote economic diversification, improve public services, and establish itself as a global leader in new technologies. The Qatar National AI Strategy was launched in 2019 with six pillars – education, data access, employment, business, research, and ethics – that will help guide Qatar towards an AI future.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) organised a high-profile roundtable, ‘Strengthening Actionable Intelligence from AI, Big Data, and Advanced Tech’ at the International Economic Forum Davos 2024. Participants discussed how AI and machine learning could utilise big data to foster innovation, with emphasis on key factors crucial for data collection and the provision of essential tools for safe access.

HE Al Mannai spoke about the MCITs commitment to the National Development Strategy, in particular the upcoming Digital Agenda 2030. The strategy aims to advance government services, boost innovation capabilities, enhance the digital business landscape, facilitate improved data exchange among government entities, and offer best practices in AI technologies for both the public and private sectors.

The MCIT will soon be welcoming world leaders to Qatar for the World Summit AI MENA 2024 in December 2024. The event will bring together thousands of AI enterprises, big tech, startups, investors and scientists who are at the forefront of AI both in the region and from abroad.

Key highlights include world-class speakers, cutting-edge research, industry highlights, networking, hackathons and competitions. Global AI experts and visionaries will share their insights and experiences in various domains of AI from machine learning, generative AI and deep learning, to natural language processing and computer vision.

For more information about the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) please visit mcit.gov.qa.

Author: Sarah Palmer

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