The three-day construction and services exhibition will feature 250 participants, including tech giants Microsoft, Google, Huawei, IBM, and Siemens.

Qatar’s first exhibition for tech in construction and services, the ConteQ Expo 2024, kicked off in Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) on Monday.

The three-day event features over 250 exhibitors from 24 countries, showcasing advancements in 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, cybersecurity, and construction research.

Tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Siemens, Huawei, and IBM are also among the conference participants that aim to bring together “enthusiasts, professionals, and investors,” according to Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal), one of the event’s organisers.

“The exhibition will bring about a technological shift in the construction and services sectors,” Ashghal said in a statement, adding about 15,000 visitors are expected to visit over three days.

Other joint organisers of the conference include the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and the Ministry of Labor (MOL).

In addition to designated stalls for participants, the exhibition has multiple pitching and discussion zones, as well as pavilions dedicated to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)s, Qatari start-ups, and companies dealing with technology in services and construction.

“This exhibition has a new concept that people should look into when they’re trying to build a project or to digitise an existing one,” said Nayef Rashvan, Chief Executive Director of Qatar-based fintech company Noqoody. Ravshan’s company was one of the companies in the Qatari start-up pavilion.

“I believe that the steps taken towards fintech and digitising solutions have the potential to change lives,” he told Doha News.

Shinichiro Ota, a chief researcher at Fujita Group, said exhibitions like these are crucial for advancing and discussing the application of cutting-edge technologies in construction and management.

“We are here to communicate our vision as a company and how we strive with the use of the latest technology,” Ota said as he controlled a monitoring robot that his company uses in construction sites.

The expo will also welcome more than 60 speakers until September 18, covering topics such as efficiency and sustainability in construction and services, as well as public-private partnerships in adapting to evolving digital landscapes.

Adil Mohammad, a supply chain manager at Shell UK and an attendee, said his key takeaway from Monday’s event was the opportunity to learn about new technologies and how they can be accessible to people at the exhibition.

“I am really amazed,” he told Doha News.

“I was here to understand the technologies on offer and how they are being adopted by construction projects, but I got to learn about drones, AI, IOT [Internet of Things] and more,” he went on to say, describing the expo as a “phenomenal opportunity”.

“If conferences like these are in town, you have to be there, otherwise, you miss out on a learning opportunity like this,” he added.