(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Deepak John |
The Peninsula
Doha: Qatar is hosting the first FIFA World Cup in Arab world and the Middle East which will have regional impact on the tournament and the legacy that Qatar is leaving behind will be significant for the region. Qatar's economy is expected to see an impact of $3.14bn over the next five years and the country is expected to be digital and a data hub for international companies, said experts during a webinar held, yesterday.
US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC), in association with the Office of the Commercial Attache (COA) at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington DC, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, and the Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT) organised a webinar entitled 'Women at the Forefront: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022'.
Lana Khalaf, General Manager of Microsoft Qatar said, FIFA World Cup has made Qatar a digital hub for the world, and this is where Microsoft is bringing our global data center to Qatar in order to enable sustainability, resiliency and an innovative FIFA World Cup to deliver for all fans coming to Qatar. Citing a study done with IDC about the impact of bringing the data center and empowering the nation digitally she said,“We see an impact of $3.14bn for the economy in Qatar over the next five years for the ecosystem which is a major implication in the economy. I think 10 years ahead we will see Qatar as a digital hub and a data hub for many international companies worldwide.'
Lana Khalaf added”Because of the investments that private sector and Microsoft has done we see all our global partners ecosystem coming to host in Qatar to empower the nation digitally, not only for Qatar but also for the region and globally.”
Sheikha Mayes bint Hamad Al Thani, Managing Director, US-Qatar Business Council Doha Office also participated in the webinar. Kelly Ann Shaw, Board Member, Association of Women in International Trade moderated the event. She noted,“In addition to celebrating International Women's Day, we are also celebrating 50 years of Qatar-US diplomatic relation. The Qatar-US relation is longstanding and important with respect to economic, military, and national security interest. Qatar is a key ally and friend of United States.”
Fatma Al Nuaimi, Communications Executive Director for Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said,“FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has acted as an accelerator of doing a lot of reforms - when it comes to labour and workers welfare, and we can see the benefits and the transformative journey that is happening for past ten years. We are expecting around 1.2 million visitors for the event which will boost the tourism and we are working with several stakeholders for the activities to have a successful model.”
Speaking about how the World Cup has transformed the country's market value, she said“We are hosting one of the biggest events and there is a lot of investment that is happening. Hosting such events attract a lot of investment into the country, also visibility and brand proposition. It also contributes to the brand equity of the country in promoting it.”
Eng. Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Director of Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said,“We have always used the World Cup as an opportunity for positive change in Qatar and the region. Our sustainability strategy is aligned with QNV 2030. We believe that our strategy will be used as a blueprint document for future sporting events and there are many places where we are setting the benchmark on sustainability.”
Responding to a query on how Microsoft has enhanced the scalability in terms of Qatar's World Cup preparations and legacy opportunities Khalaf noted,“We wanted to deliver end to end solutions by using our technology and the global data center that we announced in Qatar. Our key goal was not only to deliver amazing technology but also to make sure we deliver sustainable and resilient project. We are engaged in enabling smart stadiums running on our Microsoft cloud fully sustainable which have 98 percent less CO2 emissions and zero waste utilising the power of AI and technology to create a great experience for everyone in the stadium.”
“We are focusing on country's digital transformation efforts across all pillars like we are part of the Tasmu smart city, health initiatives and education and learning management system that are contributing to the innovation transformation of key industries in the country, she added.
Microsoft is bringing global data center that will empower Qatar as a digital hub but also we are launching the biggest digital center of excellence to empower from students, youth to professionals and women in every segment in the country.“Microsoft is investing in the digital center of Microsoft is bringing global data center that will empower Qatar as a digital hub excellence in partnership with the government for the jobs of the future, to enable more women in technology, to ensure we build this knowledge economy and enable digital skilling for all.'
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