Qatar Foundation - Wilton Park dialogue calls for global action to drive social development through sport. Sep 19, 2026, 09:08 ET Three-day UK dialogue emphasizes female empowerment, inclusion, and systemic reform across the Global South. WEST SUSSEX, England, Sept. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - International leaders spanning government, policy, development, and sport convened at Wilton Park for a three-day dialogue hosted with Qatar Foundation (QF), calling for a global coalition to turn sport's potential to support social development into practical action. Held under the theme 'Sport for Development in the Global South: Advancing Female Empowerment, Inclusion, and Accessibility', the event focused on removing structural barriers to sporting opportunity for women and girls, building on UN Resolution 59/17, initiated by Qatar with Indonesia and Morocco and co-sponsored by 71 nations. Wilton Park and QF will now jointly develop an actionable roadmap for action in policy, coaching, and infrastructure. Speaking at the dialogue, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, urged action that goes beyond basic parity, saying: "The barriers girls face are fundamentally different. "Our approach is to close that gap in practice, not just in principle: involving women in the design of facilities, providing coaching tailored to women's needs, and building the scientific research base that, too often, doesn't exist for women's and girls' sport." His Excellency Dr. Khalilur Rahman, President-Elect of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, told the dialogue that sport "changes how a girl is seen by her family and community, and how she sees herself", saying: "A girl who plays on a team learns to lead, to fail and try again in public - and that confidence follows her into the classroom, workplace, and civic life." Participants in the dialogue included Olympism365, Special Olympics, Laureus Sport for Good, NBA Africa, FIVB, and Olympic athletes Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Ibtihaj Muhammad. QF continues to advance inclusive sport, with over 70,000 female participants participating in tailored sporting activities at the Education City Stadium in the past two years, and its Circle In initiative supporting sport-for-development projects in 10 countries. About Qatar Foundation Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization driving education, research, and community development. Founded in 1995, QF operates an interconnected ecosystem at Education City in Doha, Qatar, empowering individuals and driving positive social change. Visit www.qf.org.qa. SOURCE Qatar Foundation

Qatar Foundation wins five gold awards at the Stevie Awards for the Middle East and North Africa 2026 Al-Watan newspaper Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development has won five gold awards at the 2026 Stevie Awards for the Middle East and North Africa, for its AI-powered digital assistant, Botaina, an achievement that reflects the foundation's growing standing in digital innovation and the development of technology solutions based on artificial intelligence. The foundation explained in a statement today that this recognition came in appreciation of the excellence achieved by Botaina in the areas of artificial intelligence innovation, strategy and implementation, and technology development, reflecting the transformative impact of a digital solution designed to facilitate access to information and provide an experience more suited to users' needs and more harmonious with the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the community. It added that the awards were granted within one of the most competitive business awards programs in the Middle East and North Africa, which attracted more than 1,400 nominations this year from various institutions and entities across the region, noting that amid this broad competition, Qatar Foundation was able to stand out by winning five gold awards for Botaina, covering four categories specialized in artificial intelligence, in addition to a category for innovation in technology development. It noted that Botaina won the gold awards in the categories of excellence in innovation in artificial intelligence for non-profit organizations and artificial intelligence products and services, excellence in innovation in artificial intelligence strategy and its implementation for those organizations, and innovation in technology development, in addition to the category of innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Commenting on this achievement, Ahmed Al-Kahlout, director of digital platforms at Qatar Foundation, said that the foundation's receipt of five gold awards in the Stevie Awards represents important recognition of the efforts made to develop Botaina and of the foundation's vision aimed at employing technology to provide more advanced and efficient digital experiences. He added that innovation is not limited to adopting the latest technologies; it also includes developing practical solutions that help make the user experience easier, more useful, and more valuable, noting that Botaina is an important step on this path and that this recognition gives the team additional motivation to continue exploring the promising potential of artificial intelligence and harnessing it to better serve users. He stressed that this achievement reflects Botaina's success in providing a practical model for employing artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively within an institution with an educational and developmental mission, explaining that the digital assistant was developed to be a multilingual, human-centered platform that provides quick and accurate access to information while taking into account culture, language, and local context. In this context, he indicated that Botaina embodies Qatar Foundation's approach to benefiting from advanced technologies not only to enhance operational efficiency, but also to create purposeful and inclusive digital experiences that serve diverse segments of society and meet their multiple needs. Regarding future plans for developing the platform, Al-Kahlout explained that the foundation looks forward to benefiting from rapid developments in artificial intelligence technologies to upgrade Botaina's capabilities, noting that it currently plays an important role in helping users access information and obtain quick answers, while the next phase focuses on enabling it to provide more advanced services and complete more tasks on behalf of users. He explained that the future direction is to enable Botaina to help users complete tasks, access services, and complete registration and browsing smoothly across Qatar Foundation's digital platforms, so that it moves from its current role of answering inquiries to understanding users' needs and contributing to completing them efficiently and easily. The director of digital platforms at Qatar Foundation stressed that this direction represents a promising step toward developing simpler, more accurate, and more responsive digital experiences, enhancing the value of services provided to users and consolidating Qatar Foundation's position in employing modern technologies to serve society and achieve a sustainable positive impact. 13/09/2026

Mall of Qatar and Qatar Foundation sign mou. X September, 2026 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Mall of Qatar and Qatar Foundation to promote Advance Education, Culture and Community connection, through the Jood Privilege Program and other initiatives. Mall of Qatar and Qatar Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), initiated through Qatar Foundation's JOOD Privilege Program to strengthen collaboration in the fields of education, culture, creativity and community initiatives, while expanding the reach of these programmes to diverse segments of society across Qatar. The partnership reflects JOOD's ongoing efforts to expand strategic collaborations that create value for the Qatar Foundation community and enhance the benefits and opportunities available to Qatar Foundation students and employees. The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for cooperation between both parties in the development and implementation of programmes and initiatives that support learning, knowledge exchange and community engagement. Through this partnership, Qatar Foundation will leverage Mall of Qatar's facilities and venues to host activities and engage with wider audiences. Areas of collaboration include organising exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops, student-led initiatives, research showcases and a range of educational and cultural events. The partnership will also support the development and promotion of joint awareness campaigns through various media and communications channels. In addition, the agreement enables Qatar Foundation to host selected events at the Oasis Stage and across Mall of Qatar's venues, with Mall of Qatar providing the required technical and communications support for agreed initiatives and activities. The partnership also encompasses the JOOD service, a digital platform that offers the Qatar Foundation community exclusive benefits and discounts from participating partners, further enhancing the range of privileges available to students and employees. "This partnership represents one of the first community-focused initiatives launched through the JOOD Program for the Qatar Foundation community," said Ali Jassim Al Haidose, Director, Logistics Services and Auxiliaries at Qatar Foundation. "It reflects its vision for JOOD as a platform that goes beyond offering exclusive discounts and benefits, serving as a gateway to impactful initiatives and meaningful partnerships that cater to the interests of its community and enrich their overall experience. "Through JOOD, Qatar look forward to developing more initiatives that strengthen engagement and interaction among members of the Qatar Foundation community while supporting learning, knowledge exchange and community participation. "We highly value Qatar Mall's collaboration and positive response to this initiative and we look forward to building more strategic partnerships in the future. We also invite organisations interested in working with us to explore new opportunities under the JOOD umbrella and transform innovative ideas into tangible initiatives that benefit the Qatar Foundation community." Rony Mourani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Mall, added: "Qatar is pleased to formalise this partnership with Qatar Foundation, an institution that has played a leading role in advancing education, research, innovation and community development in Qatar. Education is one of the core pillars of Mall of Qatar, and this Memorandum of Understanding represents an important step in furthering its commitment to creating opportunities for learning, creativity and meaningful community engagement. "Our vision for Mall of Qatar has always extended beyond retail. We aspire to be a place where people come together not only to shop and enjoy entertainment but also to learn, discover, create and connect. Through our collaboration with Qatar Foundation, we look forward to bringing inspiring educational and cultural experiences into a public setting and making them accessible to a wider audience." The Memorandum of Understanding also provides for continuous coordination between both parties on key initiatives and events throughout the year, contributing to the development of joint programmes with lasting impact and supporting efforts aimed at building a knowledge-based, creative and actively engaged society." No Comments 3 minutes read