Meriam Jelliti
Doha
The first-ever edition of Arab SportsTech Forum was held earlier this week in Qatar.
Focused on providing real case studies and learnings, and enabling companies, teams and individuals to establish sports industries, the Forum offered a platform to discuss the latest trends, network and discuss opportunities and challenges in the industry.
Speakers and panellists from leading global and national organisations shared expertise and discussed the challenges and achievements in the field, thus providing a better understanding of sports tech, and the opportunities it offers.
Malik Shishtawi Founder of Arab SportsTech Forum officially announced the launch of the first edition of Arab sports Tech forum.
“With hundreds of speakers and thousands of participants and great partners and sponsors we were able to deliver in the past few years great platforms to share knowledge and businesses experiences. Why Qatar for the first Arab sports tech forum? I will not talk about the amazing programmes like the ones offered here in Aspire or the great achievements of Qatar hosting for the first time a mega event like the FIFA World Cup 2022 and making Every Arab proud of this achievement, but I would rather speak of how Qatar has always been present when it comes to innovation of sports”, he said in his welcome remarks.
Adding that Qatar was the leading country in Gulf in Funding research related to innovation and sports. “Today we are here to show the value of sports tech and e-sports industry. Many people know the value of sports but also many don’t know how technology can empower sports” he said
The Global Sports Technology Market size was estimated at USD11.70 billion in 2020 & is expected to reach to reach USD31.21 billion by 2026 at a CAGR 17.75%. Shishtawi said that the form is not only sharing business discussions, but also community discussions.
Leila Al Jefairi vice president of business development Qatar Financial Centre Authority said that in recent years, the global sports industry has evolved significantly, shifting towards inclusion. Digital experiences such as AR digital platforms are turning into immersive experiences for athletes and fans alike.
“Qatar became the host of global e-sports competitions. According to surveys by PWC, the sport industry in the Middle East is expected to grow by 8.7% in the next 3 to 5 years exceeding the expected growth of the global sport business with only 3% for the same time”, she noted.
Al Jefairi said that for QFC, sport is one of the key focus areas along with digital media, and financial services: “We act as the main touch point for international firms. In the preparation of the FIFA World Cup 2022, we have ultimately achieved something great.
We have built a strong ground for the sports industry, hosting over 500 international sporting events. Today Qatar has a $20 billion sports ecosystem and has long been on a journey to become a hub for international sporting events.”
