Qatar Foundation concludes BilAraby annual gathering 2026 with discussions on innovation, entrepreneurship, peacebuilding
<p>Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation has concluded the second edition of the BilAraby Annual Gathering, bringing together 1,600 participants for discussions on building digital platforms that serve people, overcoming challenges in entrepreneurship, and drawing on community knowledge to build peace.</p> <p>Organized by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) BilAraby initiative, the gathering took place on 19–20…
Doha, Qatar - The Qatar Foundation concluded the second edition of the BilAraby Annual Gathering on September 19-20, 2026, with discussions on innovation, entrepreneurship and peacebuilding. The gathering brought together 1,600 participants to explore building digital platforms, overcoming entrepreneurship challenges and utilizing community knowledge to foster peace.
The two-day event took place at Multaqa, the Education City Student Center in Doha under the theme 'With Our Ideas, We Build'. Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, Minister of Education and Higher Education, attended the second day and toured the partner pavilions.
The program included main-stage talks, exploratory sessions, workshops and interactive spaces where participants shared experiences, discussed ideas and explored their practical applications. QF's Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Programs, Hisham Nourin, emphasized the importance of leaving the gathering with understanding and practical application. Qatar Foundation aims to create conditions for this exchange to continue and ensure participants stay connected beyond the event.
Founder and CEO of UpScrolled, Issam Hijazi, shared his experience building a platform that gives users control over the content they follow. He highlighted the importance of courage in building a digital space that reflects one's identity. Mediation expert Zahra' Langhi emphasized the importance of understanding conflict-affected communities and listening to their experiences in peace efforts, drawing from her work in Yemen.
Business leader Hamad Mubarak Al-Hajri, Founder and CEO of Snoonu, recounted how a letter terminating his employment led to his business. He explained how he navigated a funding crisis with team members accepting pay cuts for equity. Al-Hajri linked the business's success to trust, shared responsibility and loyalty.
The BilAraby Open Translation Project workshop showcased volunteers bringing Arabic content to new audiences in different languages. Musab Masri, a multimedia supervisor and translator, shared his experience translating poetry, balancing the eloquence of the original with clarity in the target language.
Written by urgent.news from The Peninsula Qatar's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
