AI for Good Qatar Challenge to Spotlight GCC’s Startups

Doha, Qatar - The AI for Good Qatar Challenge has been announced as a new regional startup competition designed to showcase early-stage ventures leveraging artificial intelligence to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The initiative is organized by The Business Year in collaboration with Msheireb Properties and AI for Good YAILs Qatar. It will take place as part of the Qatar Investment and Innovation Conference: Driving GCC Entrepreneurial Growth, scheduled for November 3, 2025, at Barahat Msheireb in Doha.

Objective and Scope

The challenge focuses on identifying and supporting pre-seed and seed-stage startups across the Gulf region that are using AI to drive measurable social and environmental impact.

Key details:

• Open to startups registered in any GCC country, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman
• Focus areas include solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals such as clean energy, health, education, and sustainable cities
• Designed to connect early-stage founders with mentors, investors, and innovation networks that can help scale their impact

Competition Format

Shortlisted startups will pitch live in Doha before a panel of expert judges.

Format highlights:

• Pitch duration: three minutes per startup
• Evaluation criteria:

  1. Team and founder quality
  2. Product and technology innovation
  3. Business model strength
  4. Social and environmental impact
  5. Communication and presentation clarity

 The winning startup will be announced during the conference’s closing session

Benefits for Participants

While the challenge does not emphasize a monetary prize, it offers several strategic opportunities designed to accelerate growth and visibility.

Participating startups will benefit from:

• Mentorship from regional and global innovation experts
• Exposure to investors attending the Qatar Investment and Innovation Conference
• Integration into the UN and AI for Good innovation ecosystem
• Media visibility through partner networks and official communication channels
• Opportunities for collaboration with accelerators and venture capital networks across the GCC

Regional Significance

The AI for Good Qatar Challenge aims to position Doha as a regional hub for AI-driven entrepreneurship and sustainability-focused innovation. By gathering the most promising startups from across the Gulf, the event seeks to strengthen ties between local ecosystems and global innovation platforms, advancing the region’s contribution to sustainable technological progress.