Doha: Qatar’s digital transformation journey promises an expansion in job opportunities across several realms such as IT, cybersecurity, data management, and related fields, an official remarked.

Expliciting the country’s investments in resources for infrastructure enhancements and rolling out advanced technologies, Joseph Abboud, Technology Consulting Partner at PwC Middle East told The Peninsula “There is an expected rise in the need for skilled professionals to support and manage these systems.”

He stressed that within this space, artificial intelligence (AI) is anticipated to play a significant role. According to the Qatar Computing Research Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, emerging tech could make up approximately 8.2 percent of Qatar’s GDP by 2030. Abboud said: “That is remarkable and shows how critical AI is going to be for the country’s economic growth.”

The market expert highlighted the aim of upskilling and growing the employment opportunities in AI and other rising technologies “as a whole is going to be key” for job opportunities in the years ahead.

He explained that “Qatar is well-positioned and actively driving its workforce for the digital transformation epoch with a series of targeted initiatives spanning academia, research hubs, and strategic partnerships.”

This is in addition to a $200bn government program to invest in technologies and draw more foreign investments and talents across the world.

Abboud mentioned that the TASMU Smart Qatar program is an exceptional initiative to develop digital skills, strengthen innovation, and improve overall quality of life. 

In addition to this program, the Digital Incubation Centre (DIC) initiative also supports tech startups and fosters digital entrepreneurship, while the Smart Factory initiative aims to grow its digital manufacturing capabilities. 

Qatar’s leading educational institutions graduate more than 2,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students annually while hosting international technology firms that provide specialised training programs. 

“Qatar is making significant progress in digital infrastructure and connectivity. The country has launched the world’s first commercial 5G network, which has significantly boosted business’ digital transformation efforts,” he said.

The country’s digital infrastructure strategy targets five key objectives such as improving connectivity, boosting capacity, fostering economic growth, enhancing public services, and delivering societal benefits.

The industry leader said that these objectives come under the framework of its robust performance on the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI), where Qatar ranked 16th globally and third regionally in 2022, adding that “This reflects notable progress in digital government systems and citizen engagement.”

He further outlined that the major factor for this success is the Qatar Digital Government 2026 Strategy, which focuses on leveraging AI and data to meet citizens’ needs and transitioning to local cloud infrastructure for scalable public services. 

“Qatar’s high rankings in the Public Service Delivery Index (21st globally) and Digital Citizen Engagement Index (17th globally) further underscore its commitment to service improvement,” the market analyst said.

He further added “With a GTMI maturity level of 87.4 percent and strong scores on the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII), Qatar is on track for continued advancement in digital governance.”

Meanwhile, experts continue to expect further progress in the 2024 rankings with the current investments across cloud services, AI, and cybersecurity​.