Qatar

The original speech was delivered in Arabic and is available here. Below is an English translation via ITU translate.

Excellencies,
Your Excellency Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General,
Mr Chairman,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Peace and the mercy and blessings of God be upon you,

The State of Qatar welcomes you to Doha at a watershed moment for ITU, as this is the last Plenipotentiary Conference before 2030, and an opportunity to turn commitments into results. We are proud to host this conference alongside MWC26 Doha, where the ambition of governments meets industry creativity.

We are meeting at a time of great opportunity and real risks, technology is advancing faster than trust and the rules it is supposed to drive. Our mission is to ensure that communication serves people with dignity, opportunity and security.
Building on the progress we have made since PP-22, and in support of the ITU Strategic Plan 2028-2031, the State of Qatar puts forward three priorities for the road to 2030.

First, we need to measure impact, not just coverage. Some 2.2 billion people remain offline, while millions more face barriers associated with cost, quality and skills. The Digital Qatar 2030 Agenda aims to achieve an economic impact of approximately QR 40 billion and create 26 000 new jobs. Communication must become a source of livelihood.

Secondly, flexibility must be made part of the foundations of the digital world. Qatar has taken practical steps, providing access to its submarine cable landing stations, launching the region’s first quantum-secure communications link, and preparing for 6G and satellite communications. We are introducing the “Digital Embassy”, a framework that ensures the continuity of critical services across borders, while respecting national sovereignty over data.

Third, we must ensure that AI narrows rather than deepens gaps. This requires equitable access to computing, data, and skills, along with human oversight. Qatar is building a national ecosystem that combines advanced computing, Arabic language technologies, and responsible governance.

To achieve its strategic objectives, we look to ITU to strengthen the links between policy, standards, finance, and capacity development, helping Member States transform global commitments into national outcomes.

On the eve of the conference, Qatar was honoured to host a Ministerial Roundtable that culminated in the launch of the Doha Ministerial Declaration titled “Pioneering Digital Transformation towards a More Inclusive and Sustainable Future.” The Declaration embodies our shared commitment to an inclusive and sustainable digital future, and we call on all Member States to support this Declaration.

Excellencies,
As the host country, Qatar is putting its full potential at the service of this conference. Our work will be chaired by Eng. Ahmed bin Abdulla Al-Muslemani. We also look forward to your support for the State of Qatar’s candidacy for membership of the ITU Council for Region E for the period 2027-2030, to serve the Union with the same commitment with which we host you today.

Let us leave Doha not just with decisions on paper, but with a shared resolve to build a secure, inclusive and trustworthy digital future.

And thank you.