Doha, December /../ (QNA) – HE Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai hailed the anniversary of the founding of the State of Qatar by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani as an occasion that conveys patriotic meanings.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excellency said the anniversary represents a pivotal moment in Qatar’s history when Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani showed a legacy of prudence and leadership that led to the establishment of a modern independent and unified state.

Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani’s vision was the foundation for Qatar’s multi-sector renaissance, HE Al Mannai said, highlighting that Qatari people’s pride on this historic occasion is the result of their ancestors’ sacrifices for a sovereign state.

This occasion reminds Qataris of a long history of hard work and dedication to build a single national identity through which all members of the Qatari people unite for a prosperous future, His Excellency told QNA.

As marking this occasion prompts Qataris to reflect on Qatar’s achievements, it also boosts the need to preserve their national heritage and the values set by the Founder, he added.

HE Al Mannai hailed the National Day as an opportunity for all nationals and residents to renew their pledge to the country and its wise leadership to press on accomplishments that elevate Qatar’s profile.

Turning to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)s achievements, Al Mannai highlighted the Ministry’s future digital vision, primarily the launch of the Digital Agenda 2030 – a six-pillar strategy striving to foster public and private sectors to build a thriving digital economy aligning with the Third National Development Strategy (NDS-3) and Qatar National Vision 2030.

In this respect, His Excellency spoke about the Fanar project – an Arab AI Project in collaboration with local and Arab agencies.

A significant milestone underscoring Qatar’s dedication to elevating the Arabic language and culture in the AI era, Fanar is expected to generate accurate Arabic texts through original texts amounting to approximately 300 billion words.

Also among the MCIT’s accomplishments were the 2024 launch of the Qatar Digital Academy and TASMU project.

The Qatar Digital Academy – an expansion of the Qatar Digital Government Training Program keeps a keen eye for enhancing digital competencies in Qatar, envisioning training 1,000 state employees annually. With a focus on many digital skills such as AI, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things, the academy also grants 250 employees international certificates annually to enhance their qualifications and keep pace with technological developments.

The academy’s specialized training programs aligning the needs of government institutions aim to build a qualified workforce that supports digital transformation in Qatar and overcome the future challenges.

Tasmu – a project catalyzing Qatars ICT ecosystem – unites global innovators with the needs of the local market to fuel Qatars digital transformation. The program received 640 applications from 74 countries following a thrilling 2023 cycle, which garnered $36 million funding and over $100 million sales.

HE the Minister also spoke about SafeSpace, a project set to be launched in 2025 wit the aim of elevating awareness about digital safety.

Meanwhile, His Excellency added that the MCIT’s strategy was built in line with the NDS-3 to ultimately achieve the QNV 2030, with the Ministry focusing on improving the digital infrastructure to enhance networks and technologies to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality and fast services.

He noted the attraction of major companies that provide cloud services to Qatar, such as Google Cloud and Microsoft, which is in line with several objectives set by the development strategy, as these projects enhance the quality of life of citizens and residents and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

He explained that the MCIT has a great interest in developing digital government, by transforming government services into a digital platform that facilitates access to them, indicating that this transformation enhances the efficiency of procedures and increases transparency, which contributes to improving the user experience, and this is in line with the goal of the development strategy in building distinguished government institutions.

HE Al Mannai added that the MCIT seeks to boost digital innovation by supporting groundbreaking technological projects that contribute to the national economy development, through attracting entrepreneurs from other countries. This is part of the efforts that serve the state’s goal of building a sustainable economy through economic diversification.

He stressed the importance of working on developing digital skills, explaining that the launch of the Qatar Digital Academy comes within the framework of raising the efficiency of the workforce through advanced training programs. This ensures the readiness of individuals for the changing requirements of the digital market, which is also in line with the NDS-3.

Al Mannai stressed that the ministry seeks to empower the digital society by enhancing inclusiveness and providing digital skills to all segments of society, given its importance in integrating them into the digital economy and enhancing their opportunities for effective participation, pointing to the launch of many initiatives concerned with integrating different segments of society and educating them digitally, such as the Safe Space and Studio 5 initiatives.

HE Al Mannai concluded that the strategies boost Qatar as an IT hub, achieve sustainable development, and build a knowledge-based economy. (QNA)