Latest news with #QatarDevelopmentBank
Qatar Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
MCQ, QDB partner to shore up media entrepreneurship, creative talent in Qatar
Tribune News Network Doha Media City Qatar (MCQ) and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have signed a Cooperation Agreement to strengthen Qatar's creative and cultural industries ecosystem by advancing innovation, nurturing global talent, and expanding opportunities for media startups. Signed during Day 3 of the 2025 'Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg', the agreement marks a joint effort to support media entrepreneurship in Qatar. The agreement outlines a comprehensive framework to support Qatar's media and creative economy through six strategic areas. These include joint efforts to identify and support large-scale media productions aligned with the nation's cultural and export priorities, as well as the launch of a co-branded acceleration program in partnership with QDB's Creative and Cultural Industries Hub (Scale7). This program will provide hands-on support to startups through workshops, masterclasses, hackathons, and pitching events, aiming to spotlight high-potential ventures and connect them with top investors and industry leaders. The agreement names Media City Qatar as an official partner in QDB's Talent Community Program, supporting startups and helping attract creative talent. Together, they will share opportunities, explore co-investments, and help startups grow across the region and beyond. Media City Qatar and QDB will also promote the Startup Qatar Investment Program, invite each other to events, and work with key partners to strengthen these efforts. Eng. Jassim Mohamed Al Khori, CEO of Media City Qatar, said: 'Our commitment to startups is no coincidence: over 60% of our 200+ licensed companies are startups. That is why partnering with Qatar Development Bank is a natural next step in our mission to build a vibrant culture of media entrepreneurship in Qatar. This Cooperation Agreement is designed to accelerate the growth of both our current and future licensed companies. By combining our strategic platforms with QDB's startup expertise and investment channels, we are creating real pathways for media entrepreneurs to scale and innovate. This will enable them to produce content that contributes meaningfully to the country's creative GDP.' Abdulrahman Hesham Al Sowaidi, CEO of Qatar Development Bank, commented: 'This partnership reflects a shared vision for building the next generation of media entrepreneurs who contribute to shaping Qatar's creative economy. By bringing Media City Qatar on board as an official partner in our Talent Community Program, we are enriching the national startup ecosystem with creative talent ready to scale, directly contributing towards building the knowledge-based economy and Qatar's 2030 objectives. The agreement also sets the stage for establishing the first media sector accelerator under our Creative and Cultural Industries hub, Scale7, designed to empower innovation across the national media landscape. He added: 'Beyond talent development, this collaboration expands our capacity to back ambitious media ventures and accelerate their path to regional and global relevance. This partnership also enables us to promote the Startup Qatar Investment Program further and provide an investment platform for Media-sector startups.' Media City Qatar, as the official partner of the Forum, continues to forge high-impact partnerships that unlock new value for Qatar's media sector and contribute to the national knowledge-based economy goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.
ILoveQatar.net
24-05-2025
- Business
- ILoveQatar.net
Media City Qatar and QDB sign strategic agreement to boost media startups and creative economy
Media City Qatar and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have signed a Cooperation Agreement to strengthen Qatar's creative and cultural industries ecosystem by advancing innovation, nurturing global talent, and expanding opportunities for media startups. Signed during Day 3 of the 2025 'Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg', the agreement marks a joint effort to support media entrepreneurship in Qatar. The agreement outlines a comprehensive framework to support Qatar's media and creative economy through six strategic areas. These include joint efforts to identify and support large-scale media productions aligned with the nation's cultural and export priorities, as well as the launch of a co-branded acceleration program in partnership with QDB's Creative and Cultural Industries Hub (SCALE7). This program will provide hands-on support to startups through workshops, masterclasses, hackathons, and pitching events, aiming to spotlight high-potential ventures and connect them with top investors and industry leaders. The agreement names Media City Qatar as an official partner in QDB's Talent Community Program, supporting startups and helping attract creative talent. Together, they will share opportunities, explore co-investments, and help startups grow across the region and beyond. Media City Qatar and QDB will also promote the Startup Qatar Investment Program, invite each other to events, and work with key partners to strengthen these efforts. CEO of Media City Qatar Eng. Jassim Mohamed Al Khori said: "Our commitment to startups is no coincidence: over 60% of our 200+ licensed companies are startups. That is why partnering with Qatar Development Bank is a natural next step in our mission to build a vibrant culture of media entrepreneurship in Qatar". He added: "This Cooperation Agreement is designed to accelerate the growth of both our current and future licensed companies. By combining our strategic platforms with QDB's startup expertise and investment channels, we are creating real pathways for media entrepreneurs to scale and innovate. This will enable them to produce content that contributes meaningfully to the country's creative GDP." CEO of Qatar Development Bank Abdulrahman Hesham Al Sowaidi commented: "This partnership reflects a shared vision for building the next generation of media entrepreneurs who contribute to shaping Qatar's creative economy". He stressed: "By bringing Media City Qatar on board as an official partner in our Talent Community Program, we are enriching the national startup ecosystem with creative talent ready to scale, directly contributing towards building the knowledge-based economy and Qatar's 2030 objectives. The agreement also sets the stage for establishing the first media sector accelerator under our Creative and Cultural Industries hub, Scale7, designed to empower innovation across the national media landscape". He added: "Beyond talent development, this collaboration expands our capacity to back ambitious media ventures and accelerate their path to regional and global relevance. This partnership also enables us to promote the Startup Qatar Investment Program further and provide an investment platform for Media-sector startups." Media City Qatar, as the official partner of the Forum, continues to forge high-impact partnerships that unlock new value for Qatar's media sector and contribute to the national knowledge-based economy goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. (QNA)
Qatar Tribune
24-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Media City Qatar, QDB partner to boost media entrepreneurship, creative talent
DOHA: MediaCityQatar and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have signed a Cooperation Agreement to strengthen Qatar's creative and cultural industries ecosystem by advancing innovation, nurturing global talent, and expanding opportunities formediastartups. Signed during Day 3 of the 2025 'Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg', the agreement marks a joint effort to supportmediaentrepreneurship in Qatar. The agreement outlines a comprehensive framework to support Qatar'smediaand creative economy through six strategic areas. These include joint efforts to identify and support large-scalemediaproductions aligned with the nation's cultural and export priorities, as well as the launch of a co-branded acceleration program in partnership with QDB'sCreative and Cultural Industries Hub (SCALE7). This program will provide hands-on support to startups through workshops, masterclasses, hackathons, and pitching events, aiming to spotlight high-potential ventures and connect them with top investors and industry leaders. The agreement namesMediaCityQatar as an official partner in QDB's Talent Community Program, supporting startups and helping attract creative talent. Together, they will share opportunities, explore co-investments, and help startups grow across the region and and QDB will also promote the Startup Qatar Investment Program, invite each other to events, and work with key partners to strengthen these efforts. CEO ofMediaCityQatar Eng Jassim Mohamed Al Khorisaid: "Our commitment to startups is no coincidence: over 60% of our 200+ licensed companies are startups. That is why partnering with Qatar Development Bank is a natural next step in our mission to build a vibrant culture ofmediaentrepreneurship in Qatar". He added: "This Cooperation Agreement is designed to accelerate the growth of both our current and future licensed companies. By combining our strategic platforms with QDB's startup expertise and investment channels, we are creating real pathways formediaentrepreneurs to scale and innovate. This will enable them to produce content that contributes meaningfully to the country's creative GDP." CEO of Qatar Development Bank Abdulrahman Hesham Al Sowaidi commented: "This partnership reflects a shared vision for building the next generation ofmediaentrepreneurs who contribute to shaping Qatar's creative economy". He stressed: "By bringingMediaCityQatar on board as an official partner in our Talent Community Program, we are enriching the national startup ecosystem with creative talent ready to scale, directly contributing towards building the knowledge-based economy and Qatar's 2030 objectives. The agreement also sets the stage for establishing the firstmediasector accelerator under our Creative and Cultural Industries hub, Scale7, designed to empower innovation across the nationalmedialandscape". He added: "Beyond talent development, this collaboration expands our capacity to back ambitiousmediaventures and accelerate their path to regional and global relevance. This partnership also enables us to promote the Startup Qatar Investment Program further and provide an investment platform forMedia-sector startups." Media City Qatar, as the official partner of the Forum, continues to forge high-impact partnerships that unlock new value for Qatar's media sector and contribute to the national knowledge-based economy goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong trade bodies urged to learn from Qatar to enhance investor services
Five public corporations in Hong Kong dedicated to supporting businesses should learn from Qatar and enhance their coordination to offer more comprehensive services to foreign investors, the head of one body has said. Hong Kong Productivity Council chairman Sunny Tan, who joined Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu 's delegation on a four-day visit to the Middle East this week, said on Saturday that he was inspired by the Qatar Development Bank. He said the Trade Development Council, InvestHK, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, the Productivity Council and the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation should work more closely. 'The Qatar Development Bank is not a bank, but a government statutory body that offers many services to help and attract foreign companies coming for investment or local businesses,' Tan told a radio programme on Saturday. 'My impression is that this one institution is equivalent to our [five organisations] combined. 'This made me feel that while the support we provide in Hong Kong for businesses or the business sector is excellent, we need to better coordinate our public institutions.'
Qatar Living
11-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Living
SHIFT Group, Qatar Development Bank host ‘The Founders Meetup'
SHIFT Group, in partnership with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), successfully hosted The Founders Meetup at the Mondrian Hotel Doha recently. The business-casual gathering brought together a dynamic mix of startup founders, investors, and innovation leaders from across the MENA region, with the shared goal of nurturing the startup ecosystem and escalating early-stage ventures. The event was spearheaded by Abdulrahman Totonji, Managing Partner of SHIFT Group, whose leadership and vision helped bring this initiative to life. Under his guidance, SHIFT continues to build such platforms that strengthen the startups and investment landscape both locally and across the region. This event, held in collaboration with Consulting Haus, Vision Ventures and Pamoja Ventures, welcomed 17 startup companies from varying sectors such as construction, health tech, e-commerce, food tech, insurance, logistics, fintech, and property tech. These start-ups, ranging from pre-seed to seed stages, had the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to investors and venture capitalists. The event kicked off with the welcome remarks by SHIFT Group CEO Joy Alvarez, who emphasized the spirit of collaboration. 'This is more than just a meetup. It's a platform to engage. We're doing this for the startups and the founders, to give them an avenue where they can find the right partners, investors and potential clients as well.' She was joined by Mohammed Al Emadi, QDB's Executive Director of Investment and Incubation, who emphasized the bank's continued commitment to enabling innovation and entrepreneurship through strategic support and investment in the VC space. Startups presented their pitches in two sessions, with a networking coffee break in between. Attendees were able to scan a QR code to directly connect startups of interest, making real time connections possible. The event concluded with dinner and further networking among founders and investors. Qatar Development Bank plays an active role in supporting innovation and helping the venture capital space grow. With events like 'The Founders Meetup', QDB is working to position Qatar as a leading hub for startups and VC activity in the region. Shift Group is actively investing in regional VC partners and playing a hands-on role in creating opportunities for collaboration and growth. As a continuous supporter of both local and regional VC ecosystems, SHIFT is committed to build platforms like such as 'The Founders Meetup' that enables meaningful connections and unlock potential within the MENA region whilst giving a special focus on boosting the VC sector in Qatar. The Founders Meetup marks a promising step towards building a more connected, collaborative, and opportunity-rich startup ecosystem across the MENA region. --- Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content. Instagram - @qatarliving X - @qatarliving Facebook - Qatar Living YouTube - qatarlivingofficial
