Director of the Digital Innovation Department at MCIT Iman Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Technology Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East Yazan Al Safi, and Head of Enterprise for MENA at OpenAI Farouk El Hamzawi during the agreement signing.v
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with PwC Middle East and OpenAI, marking a significant milestone in Qatar’s efforts to build an integrated national artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The collaboration aims to advance Qatar’s AI infrastructure, expand the practical adoption of AI across public and private sectors, and promote secure, reliable, and innovative AI solutions that enhance operational efficiency and improve service quality.
The collaboration focuses on three main pillars. These include launching a new AI Sandbox for government entities and startups, accelerating productivity across government entities through the use of ChatGPT, and developing innovative AI-powered projects in priority sectors. Together, these efforts support Qatar’s broader digital transformation by combining global advisory expertise with advanced AI capabilities.
The agreement was signed by Iman Al-Kuwari, Director of the Digital Innovation Department at MCIT, Yazan Al-Safi, Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East, and Farouk Hamzaoui, Head of Enterprise for the Middle East and North Africa at OpenAI, on the sidelines of MWC25 Doha.
Commenting on the collaboration, Iman Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Director of the Digital Innovation Department at MCIT, said: “This collaboration represents a practical step toward strengthening the national AI ecosystem through clear governance frameworks and the adoption of secure, high-quality, and innovative solutions. Our goal is to empower government entities and startups to develop AI-driven projects that enhance public service quality, improve operational efficiency, and support the country’s transition toward a sustainable, knowledge-based economy. This partnership accelerates our initiatives related to government productivity, the design of sector-focused digital projects, and the development of national talent capable of leading AI technologies responsibly and at scale.”
Under this collaboration, MCIT will help create an enabling environment for government entities and startups to benefit from AI technologies while coordinating efforts among partners in alignment with national priorities. PwC Middle East will contribute its advisory expertise to help organizations explore AI opportunities and develop productivity-enhancing initiatives. OpenAI will provide advanced AI models and support the development of a secure experimentation environment that enables the testing of new concepts and the application of global best practices for responsible and scalable AI deployment.
Yazan Al Safi, Technology Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East, said: “Our collaboration with MCIT and OpenAI reflects our commitment to supporting Qatar’s efforts to expand the adoption of artificial intelligence. By combining policy leadership, deep advisory expertise, and advanced technology, we are moving from experimentation to real, scalable impact. Our focus is on enabling institutions to adopt AI responsibly, enhance citizen experiences, and unlock sustainable, knowledge-driven growth across priority sectors.”
Farouk El Hamzawi, Head of Enterprise for MENA at OpenAI, added: “We are proud to collaborate with MCIT and PwC Middle East to support Qatar’s efforts to leverage advanced AI technologies in line with national priorities. This partnership demonstrates how AI can help raise productivity, strengthen innovation, and support the country’s wider economic ambitions through responsible and secure deployment.”
