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Since its inception in 2001, the Doha Forum has been known for the momentum of the issues on its agenda and for the inclusion of Heads of State and Government, UN officials, Ministers, businessmen, activists and civil society organizations from countries around the world, who presented current developments and ways to address global challenges…at the heart of their discussions.
The State of Qatar’s efforts to support and sponsor such major events reflect the keenness of its wise leadership to raise its key issues with the world, strengthen regional and international cooperation, analyze the current situation and propose solutions, especially on issues such as combating extremism, the role of women, protecting human rights, eliminating violence, besieging terrorism and studying the “best means” to respond to the growing threats and challenges facing human society, which cannot be addressed by individual approaches or policies.
The Doha Forum is considered one of the most important major events in the field of contemporary international affairs due to its constant call for development as the basis of political and social security, its role in analyzing regional and world realities, its contribution of ideas and opinions in solving pressing problems, and the fact that it is consistent with the foreign policy of the State of Qatar, which relies on the principle of dialogue to resolve problems, conflicts and crises.
Given the great success of the Forum throughout its history, which included the “Enriching the Economic Future of the Middle East Conference” and in this case several consecutive sessions, it once again became an independent event conference to discuss pressing economic issues and exchange ideas and visions on the future prospects of the economic field in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.
The forum also extends from the “Doha Forum Youth Edition”, providing young people with an opportunity to discuss global issues covering international relations, defense, politics, economy and development, cybersecurity, data privacy, artificial BroadCast Unitedligence, sustainable development, etc.
The third “Doha Forum Youth Edition”, to be held in November 2023, is a global platform for youth dialogue based on the achievement of social development and progress, opening the door to the participation of people aged 18 to 33 for many years to discuss general and contemporary issues, with the aim of training them to offer new positive solutions, as well as the ability to express with enough confidence to influence and support the ideas put forward.
Since its inception about a quarter of a century ago, the Doha Forum has worked with many local, regional and international institutions to organize seminars, workshops, conferences, round tables and lectures throughout the year to discuss pressing issues and urgent challenges in the region. Notably, the first edition of the Forum was organized by the Gulf Research Center of Qatar University in cooperation with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Forum, titled “Democracy and Free Trade”, was attended by 500 participants from official, academic, research, media and cultural circles from 30 countries, as well as international and regional institutions and organizations.
The Forum played an important role in identifying and strategizing the necessary reforms to achieve a more prosperous and stable future for the region, and after several sessions, the Permanent Organizing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took over organizing it.
The following sessions covered many of the most important and influential topics regarding the issue of democracy and free trade, during which working papers were presented by participants and around which the audience discussed, commented and gave feedback, including education, culture, economic development, crises and foreign intervention, the media, free trade, energy policy and civil society, and the role of all of these in strengthening the democratic process.
The growing participation of the Doha Forum, which by its sixth edition had 72 countries participating, with nearly a thousand participants from countries around the world and nearly 300 Qataris, has contributed to strengthening the country’s capacity and qualifications for leadership positions. Issues include: democracy, the fight against terrorism, the growing role of the World Trade Organization and its growing impact on the international economic system, North-South relations, the emergence of new partnerships, women’s empowerment and gender equality, the demands for reform, power and opposition, the advancement of civil society in the Arab world, strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors, policies and procedures for the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as educational issues and the impact of monetary reforms in the GCC countries.
The seventh forum was renamed the “Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade”, and a wide range of issues relevant to the Arab world took center stage at the seventh and eighth sessions, including politics, development and free trade, security, free trade, information, culture, education, modern technology and globalization, and their role in economic growth and change in the region, as well as visions for the present and future, global stability and security, development projects, modern trends, future transformation, common markets, etc.
The separation of economic and political issues became evident during the 9th edition, with the convening of the Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade and the Enriching the Economic Future of the Middle East. In 2009, the Forum saw the signing of the Doha Agreement between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of Chad, paving the way for the normalization of relations between the two countries and creating an atmosphere of trust for further negotiations and cooperation. In this and the next editions, themes included: society, media and democracy, while the conferences discussed issues related to global development, economy, trade and investment.
The Arab Spring revolutions became the focus of the 11th and 12th Forums and Conferences, and a political reform mechanism was developed based on the historical events taking place in the region at that time, with a focus on enriching the economic future of the Middle East.
The discussion also touched on the role of international institutions such as the United Nations, the need for their reform, the role they can play in national-level development, as well as the transformation of the global political landscape and the Middle East, the economic reasons behind incidents of discontent, electronic media and satellite channels, and the US perspective on developments in the Middle East.
The number of participating countries increased to nearly 100 countries per session, as these two and subsequent sessions discussed key political, economic, social, financial, strategic and human issues in a region that is undergoing the most important changes in its contemporary history. Participants discussed issues such as ethnic and racial diversity, foreign hegemony, Western bias against the Israeli entity and the future of peace in the Middle East, the lack of a concept of citizenship in the context of political change and civil rights in the region, the role of the media in change, the challenges facing democracy in the Arab Spring countries, the importance of institutional reforms, and the challenges and opportunities presented by digital media in electronic warfare operations and digital diplomacy.
With the opening of the 16th session, the Doha Forum once again separated from the Enriching Economic Future Conference, and over three days, ways to achieve regional and global stability and prosperity were discussed in response to major challenges facing the world today in the fields of defense, defense, etc. The 17th session that followed, with the theme of “Development, Stability and Refugees”, discussed ways to achieve regional and global stability and prosperity and how to deal with these problems. The challenges that hinder world stability, especially armed conflicts, terrorism, extremism, poverty and unemployment witnessed in the region and the world, force everyone to discuss in depth how to address the root causes of these problems and achieve these goals. The aspirations of peoples for development, stability, justice and human peace at the economic, environmental and social levels.
The 18th Doha Forum, with the theme of “Policy Making in a Connected World”, launched a new visual identity with the slogan “Diversity of Thought, Diplomacy and Dialogue”, ushering in a new era of partnership. The new logo and brand are designed to enhance and unify its identity and strengthen its global influence and reputation in the field of policy making. It consolidates its position at the forefront of global policy making, promotes important dialogues, and benefits from the diverse backgrounds and experiences of participants and speakers.
In 2019, the Doha Forum launched a youth edition, set up by the Forum in cooperation with the Qatar Debate Center, to engage young Sunni groups in decision-making, discuss forum themes, and make recommendations. At that time, the number of people participating in its work exceeded 3 million, from countries around the world.
The Doha Forum was held in March 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic, with the theme “Transition to a New Era”, focusing on four fundamental areas: Geopolitical alliances and international relations, Financial systems and economic development, Defense, Cybersecurity For the first time in its history, the 20th podcast included a special edition of the “Global Reset” podcast produced in partnership with Foreign Policy magazine, with global leaders and prominent partners. Over the two days, more than 4,000 guests attended, including more than 300 speakers from 117 countries, who participated in more than 80 sessions, including plenary and breakout sessions, roundtables, interactive exhibitions and media conferences.
On December 10-11, the 21st Doha Forum will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, with the slogan “Working together to build a common tomorrow”, and will bring together leaders, heads of government and ministers from all over the world, which will be an opportunity to exchange views, ideas and constructive dialogue.
This year, the Forum is keen to host new partners from the Latin American and East Asian continents to expand the discussion base, as it will highlight four main axes: “Geopolitical axis and international relations, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, Economic Development and Sustainability.” There will also be extensive discussions on current issues in the region, especially the Palestinian Territories and the Gaza Strip, as well as current regional and international issues.
This year’s forum will include 18 main venues and dialogue sessions, 35 parallel venues, as well as roundtable meetings and seminars.
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