QNA
Doha
The Doha Forum is a leading global platform for addressing contemporary international issues, and one of the largest international platforms for diplomacy, dialogue and diversity. The Forum annually brings together a selection of heads of state and government, policy makers, opinion leaders, as well as representatives of the private sector, civil society, non-governmental organizations and the media from around the world. The Forum aims to discuss global challenges and provide innovative and implementable solutions, thus enhancing international cooperation and contributing to the formulation of effective future policies.
The Doha Forum was established in 2000, when it was launched by HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. It is held annually in Doha with significant local and international participation.
The Forum’s organizing committee determines an annual slogan for each of its sessions, under which fall many dialogue and discussion tables and sessions that serve its objectives, which focus on launching a dialogue on the critical challenges facing the world, enhancing the exchange of ideas and policy-making, and presenting applicable recommendations.
Over the years, the Forum held 21 editions, the first of which occurred in 2001. It was organized by the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University in cooperation with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the name of the “Democracy and Free Trade”. It was attended by 500 participants representing many official, academic, research, media and cultural circles from 30 countries, in addition to international and regional bodies and organizations.
The previous editions of the Forum discussed many issues and topics such as geopolitical alliances, international relations, the financial system and economic development, defense, cybersecurity, food security, sustainability and climate change, global transformations, technology, trade and investment, human capital, inequality, security, cyberspace governance, defense issues, international organizations, civil society and NGOs, and issues of culture and identity.
Given the great success achieved by the Doha Forum during its rich history, including the Enriching the Economic Future of the Middle East Conference, and continued in this manner for several sessions, becoming once again an independent event in itself, discussing urgent economic issues, and exchanging ideas and visions regarding the future prospects of the Middle East and Mediterranean region in the economic field.
In the seventh edition of the Doha Forum, its name was changed to the Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade, and a large group of issues related to the Arab world took center stage in the seventh and eighth editions, including politics, development, security, free trade, information, culture, education, modern technology and globalization. Issues on the roles in economic growth and democratic change in the region were also discussed, in addition to visions about the present and future, global stability and security, development projects, modern trends and future transformations, common markets and others.
During the ninth edition, the features of the separation of economic and political issues began to appear clearly in the discussions and sessions of the Forum, as the Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade and the Enriching the Economic Future of the Middle East Conference were held in parallel to one another.
The Arab Spring revolutions topped the discussions of the 11th and 12th editions of the Forum and conference. The 16th edition saw the Doha Forum separate from the Enriching the Economic Future of the Middle East Conference once again, and discussed ways to achieve regional and global stability and prosperity in light of the major challenges facing the world in the fields of defense, security, economy, energy, and civil society issues.
The 17th edition was held in May 2017 under the theme “Development, Stability and Refugee Crisis”, and the 18th edition was held in December 2018 under the theme “Shaping Policy in an Interconnected World”. During the event, the Doha Forum launched a new visual identity under the slogan “Diplomacy, Dialogue, Diversity.” The slogan was designed to enhance and unify the Forums identity and strengthen its global presence and reputation in policy formulation. The Forums organizers said the new slogan reflected Doha Forums efforts to establish itself at the forefront of global policy making, foster vital dialogue, and benefit from the diverse backgrounds and expertise of its participants and speakers.
In December 2019, the Doha Forum held its 19th edition under the slogan “Reimagining. Governance in a Multipolar World.” During the event, the Doha Forum launched the youth edition, established in cooperation with the QatarDebate Center, to involve young age groups in decision-making, discuss the Forums themes, and submit their recommendations to it. The number of participants in its activities at that time exceeded 3,000 people from various countries around the world.
The “Doha Forum: Youth Edition” held its third edition in November 2023 and will launch its fourth edition on December 5 in cooperation with the QatarDebate Center. This edition is in line with the main theme of the Doha Forum by focusing on five key areas, including geopolitics, emerging technologies, security, and cultural diplomacy. The new edition seeks to provide a space for young people to present new visions and drive positive change.
Due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Doha Forum held its two editions for these years in virtual sessions that included a group of senior policymakers, experts, and researchers to discuss a number of pressing global issues.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic that struck the world, the Doha Forum held its 20th edition in March 2022 under the title “Transforming for a New Era” and discussed the various geopolitical changes that occurred in the world that year.
In December 2023, HH the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani inaugurated the 21st Doha Forum under the theme “Building Shared Futures,” with the attendance of more than 4,000 participants, including more than 270 speakers from 120 countries, who contributed to more than 80 sessions over the course of the two-day event.
HH the Amir also presented the Doha Forum Award to Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini.
The 21st Doha Forum highlighted four main themes: international relations and security, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, economic development, and sustainability, through 18 main sessions and 35 side sessions.
The Doha Forum is considered one of the most prominent major events in the field of contemporary international affairs, and since its launch about a quarter of a century ago, it has cooperated with many local, regional, and international bodies in organizing discussion sessions, workshops, meetings, round tables and lectures throughout the year to discuss pressing issues and urgent challenges in the region and the world, as it hosts officials and experts in various fields from all over the world, and the forums organizers are keen to discuss pressing issues in the world and enhance dialogue by selecting figures who express all the ideas presented, which facilitates reaching results that help decision-makers deal with solutions to these problems.
Over the past two decades, the Doha Forum has established its position as an interactive global dialogue platform for the localization of development, security and stability in the world, as Qatar has gathered through previous editions the experiences of many opinion and policy leaders, global experts and activists, and came up with perceptions and visions that draw a road map to solve global crises and challenges.
The State of Qatar’s hosting and sponsorship of the forum’s activities and editions also affirms the wise leadership’s keenness to engage the world in raising its crucial issues, strengthening regional and international cooperation, diagnosing the current situation, and proposing solutions to address them, especially with regard to issues related to combating extremism, role of women, fair distribution of wealth, protection of human rights, elimination of violence, containment of terrorism, and examining the best means to confront the growing threats and challenges facing human societies, which cannot be confronted by individual methods or policies.
The Doha Forum is in harmony with the foreign policy of the State of Qatar, which adopts the principle of dialogue in resolving issues, conflicts and crises, and embodies the distinguished international position occupied by the State of Qatar in the network of international relations, and its superior ability to provide open and appropriate arenas for dialogue and exchange of ideas in search of solutions to various global challenges.
The outcomes of the Doha Forum have contributed to drawing lines and indicators and preparing work programs for diplomatic moves capable of addressing contemporary problems and challenges, and paving the way and the ground for finding the best solutions to the issues and crises that trouble the world and threaten the lives of millions to cross humanity to safety based on the belief that the common future of humanity depends on stability, security, and the right of all to exist.The forum aims to discuss global challenges and provide innovative and implementable solutions, thus enhancing international cooperation and contributing to the formulation of effective future policies
