Qatar Sets Global Benchmark In Digital Transformation

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Deepak John | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is strengthening its position as a regional and global leader in digital transformation, with its growing commitment to advanced technologies offering a benchmark for other countries, according to Pablo Iacopino (pictured), Head of Research and Commercial Content at GSMA Intelligence.

Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of MWC26 Doha, Iacopino described Qatar as a role model for digital innovation, highlighting the government's strong support for technology adoption and the country's efforts to transform consumer services and enterprise operations.

He said the country's progress in mobile and digital technologies is attracting international attention, with other markets looking to learn from and replicate its approach.

He noted that Qatar's commitment to digital transformation reflects a wider trend across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where enterprises are accelerating investments in advanced technologies to improve business performance and unlock new growth opportunities.

According to Iacopino, enterprises across the region are expected to invest an average of 9% of their revenues in digital transformation over the next five years, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as the biggest area of investment.

The findings come from a major GSMA Intelligence global enterprise survey covering 50 countries and 10 industry sectors, including healthcare, retail, utilities and automotive. The research highlights the growing adoption of AI, 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud technologies across the Middle East and GCC.

“The survey shows that enterprises across the region will spend 9% of revenues on digital transformation,” Iacopino said, pointing to significant opportunities for telecom operators, technology vendors and other players in the digital ecosystem.

He explained that businesses are investing in these technologies to generate new revenue streams, improve customer experiences, increase operational agility and achieve greater cost efficiencies.

However, enterprises are also placing considerable emphasis on measurable returns from their technology investments. According to Iacopino, businesses are targeting a return on investment of 200%, meaning they expect to generate $3 for every $1 invested in digital transformation.

Achieving these targets will require a supportive technology and policy environment, as well as stronger collaboration across the industry. Iacopino highlighted the growing importance of partnerships between enterprises, telecom operators, network vendors and hyperscalers in delivering the solutions businesses need.

AI is expected to account for the largest share of enterprise technology investment, with businesses in the region already experiencing benefits from its adoption. He expects this momentum to continue as organisations increasingly integrate AI into their operations and business strategies.

Comparing the Middle East with other global markets, including Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, Iacopino said MENA is ahead of several regions in important areas of digital transformation, particularly AI and 5G adoption.

Iacopino also highlighted the Middle East's position as a global mobile technology hub, noting that several operators in the region were among the first to launch 5G services. The focus is now shifting towards 5G Standalone and 5G-Advanced, opening the door to more sophisticated connectivity and enterprise applications.

He expects 5G adoption to continue expanding across consumer and business markets, with enterprises increasingly using the technology in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and industrial operations.

“5G will be everywhere for consumers,” he said, adding that enterprise adoption will also increase as businesses explore new industrial and commercial applications.

For Qatar, continued investment in next-gener ation mobile networks and digital technologies is expected to support eco nomic development and contribute to GDP growth.

Reflecting on MWC26 Doha, Iacopino described the region as an increas ingly important technology and innovation hub, sup ported by a positive environment for operators, vendors, startups and policymakers.

He noted that the success of the previous edition had reinforced the importance of the event, with this year's gathering providing another opportunity to showcase developments across the mobile and digital ecosystems.

He said the region's early adoption of 5G, growing focus on AI and commitment to digital transformation demonstrate its ambition to remain at the forefront of technological innovation. Iacopino expects rising enterprise investment, expanding AI adoption and the continued development of 5G networks to create significant opportunities for the telecommunications industry while accelerating digital transformation across Qatar and the wider Middle East

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