Ooredoo Group to Host Second Digital Ecosystem Conference in Doha on November 16-17

Ooredoo Group will host the second edition of its Digital Ecosystem Conference & Exhibition in Doha on November 16-17, 2026, under the theme "Shaping Digital Economies: Policy, Sovereignty & the Future of ICT." The Peninsula Newspaper reported the event will bring together government, regulatory, industry and academic perspectives on the decisions shaping the digital economy.

What the Doha Conference Will Cover

The two-day event builds on the inaugural edition in 2024 and expands to a full two days, combining keynotes, panel discussions and fireside conversations with an exhibition of digital platforms and services. It takes place shortly after MWC Doha and alongside the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.

The programme will examine how legal and regulatory frameworks can support investment in digital infrastructure and the adoption of emerging technologies while protecting consumers and strengthening public trust. Sessions will cover the foundations of the AI economy, including connectivity, data centres and energy requirements, alongside digital sovereignty, AI governance, cybersecurity, digital identity and consumer protection.

Dedicated roundtables will address digital data hubs, young people's experiences of social media and AI, and the implementation of AI governance. A drafting session will develop the Doha Principles 2026, translating the discussions into shared policy recommendations covering AI, data, cybersecurity, inclusion and sustainability.

Hilal Mohammed Al Khulaifi, Ooredoo's Group Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer, said: "The decisions being made today on AI, data and connectivity will influence where investment goes and how widely its benefits are shared. We need policy frameworks that give businesses the confidence to invest and people the confidence to use digital services. This conference brings those perspectives together to identify practical steps that governments and industry can take."

Ooredoo's Digital Infrastructure Push

Ooredoo is a Qatar-headquartered telecommunications group delivering mobile, fixed, broadband, cloud, AI and managed enterprise services across MENA and Southeast Asia, according to akta.pro company records. The same records show the group formed Ooredoo Fibre Networks as an independent entity in February 2026 to consolidate submarine and terrestrial fiber assets, with a target of growing international connectivity from 3% to 12% of Group revenues.

In August 2025, Ooredoo signed a cooperation agreement with NVIDIA to deploy H200 and A6000 GPU accelerators across data centers in five countries, committing $1 billion to expand capacity by 65% by 2030. In March 2026, it pledged $500 million in submarine and terrestrial optical fibre across the MENA region under ITU's Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.

Earlier Ooredoo Policy and Partnership Moves

In September 2026, Ooredoo Group and UNDP hosted a digital and AI policy leaders' forum on September 1-2, bringing together government officials, regulators and technology leaders, Telecompaper reported. In November 2026, Bango and Ooredoo Group announced a partnership to use Bango's Digital Vending Machine for subscription bundling across Ooredoo's markets, serving nearly 150 million customers, according to GlobeNewswire.

Ooredoo Group CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo spoke at MWC26 Doha's Digital Leadership Forum, emphasizing AI, quantum computing and robotics for economic growth, Gulf Times reported in November 2026.

Next Steps for Ooredoo

The conference runs November 16-17, 2026, with the drafting session on the Doha Principles 2026 scheduled within the programme.