DOHA: The National Planning Council (NPC), in partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, represented by the Qatar Scientific Club, wrapped up the ‘Data Summer Camp 2025’, a five-day programme that took place from August 23 to 27, 2025.
Registration for the programme began in early August and attracted nearly 150 applicants, out of which 125 students were chosen to take part. The participants were grouped into nine teams from high schools and seven from universities, working under the guidance of expert mentors based on well-defined evaluation and selection standards.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the target audience during the camp, Eng. Abdul Rahman Saleh Khamis, Deputy Executive Director at Qatar Scientific Club, said, “We are extremely proud of this collaboration between the National Planning Council and Microsoft Qatar to have this programme, the Data Summer Camp 2025, and we had more than 120 students attending from both university and high school over the course of five days.” During the programme, students engaged with Qatar’s Open Data Portal, which provides access to over 1,100 datasets spanning economic, social, and service-related fields. They designed creative solutions, including interactive dashboards with Microsoft Power BI, smart applications, and artificial intelligence-driven (AI) predictive models.
The official noted that the camp featured specialised workshops, hands-on training, and applied projects tailored to the priorities and development goals of Qatari society. These elements broadened the participants’ learning experience and strengthened their abilities to generate analytical insights and apply data in practical, impactful ways. “We are thrilled to have impressive accomplishments executed by students who worked together on amazing projects that ultimately benefit them,” Khamis said. He also stressed that the camp was a mix of training sessions provided by different parties, including NPC, Microsoft, and Qatar Scientific Club.
He added, “Our programme leaders gave the students a better overview and understanding of how to accomplish their projects successfully.” During the closing ceremony, the top three teams in both categories — high school and university students aged between 15 and 22 were recognised for their achievements. The event also included final project presentations from the shortlisted teams, where participants demonstrated their innovative solutions aimed at addressing real challenges.
In the high school division, Team Mesaieed secured first place, while Team Smaisma earned second place, and Team Al Sadd took third place. Meanwhile, in the university category, Team Tamkeen was awarded first place, while Team Al Khor attained second place and Team Reginald came in third place.
Maha Rashid Al-Mattwi, Director of the National Data Affairs Department at NPC, emphasised the significance of the camp as one of a series of ongoing initiatives led by the Center. She said: “The Data Summer Camp is an important step toward preparing a new generation capable of understanding the language of numbers, analysing data, and transforming information into tools for development and innovation.
“We believe Qatar’s future depends on nurturing young minds and equipping them with the tools of digital transformation so they can play an active role in nation-building and in realising its ambitious vision.”
