The second edition of Mobile World Congress Doha opened at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center with the participation of telecom industry leaders and government representatives. Qatar presented its vision for preparing network infrastructure to support task-executing AI agents, coinciding with the release of two new reports by the GSMA on the telecommunications economy in the Middle East and North Africa.
Opening of the second edition of Mobile World Congress in Doha
Qatar’s vision for transitioning from Q&A chatbots to AI agents
6G research and the integration of terrestrial, maritime, and space networks
Findings of the two GSMA reports for the Middle East region
International standards discussions with the ITU and next steps
Frequently asked questions
Opening of the second edition of Mobile World Congress in Doha
The second edition of “Mobile World Congress Doha” kicked off at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center on November 8, bringing together telecom industry leaders and government representatives under a theme focused on a new era of intelligence-driven connectivity. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Qatar organized the event in collaboration with the GSMA. The Qatar News Agency reported the opening details, and The Peninsula newspaper published the report at 16:51 Doha time, corresponding to 17:51 Gulf Standard Time.
During the first day, participating officials toured the Qatar National Pavilion, where participating organizations and entities showcased digital initiatives and AI-related applications. However, the available announcement did not include individual technical specifications or independent performance evaluations for each presentation, meaning the opening cannot be portrayed as the verified launch of a specific cutting-edge AI model.
Qatar’s vision for transitioning from Q&A chatbots to AI agents
In his opening address, His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Qatar’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, outlined the ongoing shift from traditional AI systems that merely answer questions to “AI agents” capable of executing complex tasks across various networks and applications.
The minister emphasized that this qualitative shift imposes stronger and more rigorous requirements for flexible connectivity, advanced computing capabilities, and reliable, high-efficiency networking. These statements represent documented government priorities within the digital policy agenda rather than evidence that Qatar has already deployed a national network managed entirely by AI agents.
6G research and the integration of terrestrial, maritime, and space networks
The opening day agenda of the conference included advanced technical files encompassing 6G network research, integrated coordination between terrestrial telecom networks, submarine cables, and satellites, as well as improving access to high-performance computing resources. Telecom infrastructure directly impacts AI services when intelligent agents require dependable connectivity to access remote systems, devices, and data sources.An AI agent managing a business or operational process could face critical errors if network links fail or if it cannot securely communicate with an authorized service. Nevertheless, 5G and 6G technologies also support numerous applications unrelated to AI, and their expenditures should not be entirely classified as AI-allocated spending.
Findings of the two GSMA reports for the Middle East region
On the sidelines of the event, the GSMA released two major reports. Its first report, titled “The Mobile Economy Middle East and North Africa 2026,” estimated that mobile technologies and services contributed approximately $380 billion to the region’s economy in 2025, equivalent to 5.8% of GDP, and projected this contribution to reach nearly $470 billion by 2030.
The second report indicated that 17 out of 24 regional markets had launched commercial 5G services by September 2026, forecasting regional 5G connections to grow from 67 million in 2025 to approximately 350 million by 2030. These figures pertain to the broader mobile economy and are not limited exclusively to AI revenue or adoption.
International standards discussions with the ITU and next steps
The meeting also featured extensive discussions between GSMA and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) officials addressing standardization, network interoperability, and expanding digital access opportunities. The conference runs through November 10, coinciding with preparations for a major ITU conference beginning November 9. These are forward-looking meetings rather than finalized outputs from November 8.
The strategic importance of the event for AI lies in its infrastructure and regulatory policy dimensions. Qatar is placing AI agent requirements at the core of a prominent regional telecom forum alongside the release of recent data on supporting interconnectivity networks, without drawing specific new investment volume conclusions. The most crucial follow-up remains monitoring whether the event will yield signed agreements or approved technical standards.
Frequently asked questions
Question: What was the main focus presented by Qatar at the opening of Mobile World Congress Doha?
Answer: Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai focused on the transition from Q&A AI systems to AI agents capable of executing tasks across networks, and the flexible connectivity and advanced computing required to support them.
Question: What is the contribution of the mobile sector to the Middle East and North Africa economy?
Answer: The GSMA report estimated that mobile technologies and services contributed about $380 billion to the region’s economy in 2025 (5.8% of GDP), with projections reaching $470 billion by 2030.
Question: What are the 5G deployment forecasts in the region by 2030?
Answer: The report showed that 17 out of 24 regional markets launched commercial 5G services by September 2026, with 5G connections expected to rise from 67 million in 2025 to about 350 million in 2030.
Question: Why are advanced telecom networks essential for AI agents to function?
Answer: Because AI agents managing business operations require reliable, secure, and continuous connection links with remote systems, devices, and data sources to avoid errors and service disruptions.
