Qatar is accelerating its transition into a knowledge-based economy with the launch of Artificial Intelligence for Qatar (AIQAT). This joint initiative between the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is a direct pillar of the National AI Strategy. The program offers up to QAR 1 million ($274,000) over two years to researchers who can deliver tangible, implementable AI solutions. By prioritizing localized, “resource-lean” technologies, Qatar aims to bypass the high costs of Western infrastructure while ensuring its AI models remain culturally and linguistically relevant.
Strategic Priority Areas
The AIQAT grant targets three critical sectors where AI aims to have the highest socioeconomic impact. Each proposal must demonstrate methodological rigor and a clear path toward commercial or societal implementation within Qatar.
1. AI-Assisted Healthcare
Focuses on enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient data analytics. Research must prioritize data confidentiality and the unique health profiles of the regional population.
2. AI-Assisted Education
Aims to personalize the student journey. Proposals should explore adaptive learning tools that respond to diverse student needs, helping educators move beyond “one-size-fits-all” curricula.
3. AI-Assisted Tourism
Leverages data to create “Smart City” experiences. This includes personalized travel recommendations, optimized transport logistics, and real-time sentiment analysis for visitors.
Technical and Eligibility Requirements
The grant is open exclusively to Lead Principal Investigators (LPIs) holding a terminal degree (PhD) who are affiliated with approved Qatari institutions. The scheme emphasizes “applied research,” meaning projects must move beyond theory into functional prototypes.
- Submission Deadline: 11 March 2026
- Award Announcement: June–July 2026
- Funding Limit: Up to QAR 500,000 per year
Encouraged Technologies:
Applicants are urged to utilize a diverse technical stack to address Qatar’s specific needs:
- Arabic LLMs & Natural Language Processing: To ensure native-level dialect support.
- Multimodal AI: Combining text, image, and voice for holistic diagnostics or travel guides.
- Internet of Things (IoT) & Sensors: Particularly for smart city and tourism logistics.
- Blockchain: For secure data sharing in healthcare and education.
Sovereignty Through Localization
A core objective of AIQAT is to address the “Data Divide.” Most global AI models are trained on Western datasets, causing them to lose precision when applied to the Middle East’s linguistic and cultural nuances.
By funding research into Arabic Large Language Models (LLMs) and sociocultural frameworks, Qatar is building “Sovereign AI.” This ensures that local institutions and startups can innovate without heavy reliance on imported, high-cost international platforms. This grant is part of a larger $15 million commitment by regional partners to foster a self-sustaining AI ecosystem by 2027.