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MWC25 Doha Wraps Up; Dubai Property is Still Hot; Saudi PIF Makes $253M

MWC25 Doha Wraps Up; Dubai Property is Still Hot; Saudi PIF Makes $253M

November 27, 2025

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Happy Thursday everyone!

MWC25 Doha has officially wrapped, marking a milestone moment for Qatar as it hosted its first-ever edition of the world’s leading connectivity event. From 5G breakthroughs to startup showcases, the two-day gathering underscored the region’s rising influence in global tech. Meanwhile, Dubai’s luxury property market continues to sizzle, with new data showing record-high transactions and sustained appetite for ultra-prime homes. And in Saudi Arabia, the Public Investment Fund completed a $253 million stake sale in Umm Al Qura, the developer behind Mecca’s massive Masar project.

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Dubai Luxury Housing Market Hits New Peak As $10M+ Sales Surge Past $2 Billion

What’s it About?

Dubai’s luxury residential market reached a new high last quarter, with homes priced above $10 million totaling over $2 billion in sales, Knight Frank reports. Mortgage-backed purchases also rose sharply, with more than 23,000 homes financed this year—signaling a shift in buyer behavior.

Why it Matters?

The surge in financed purchases suggests Dubai’s property market is moving away from speculative flipping toward longer-term ownership. This changing buyer mix could stabilize the market, tempering the rapid price acceleration seen in recent years while maintaining strong demand at the top end.

What’s Next?

Knight Frank expects prime price growth to slow to around 3% in 2025, indicating a more sustainable trajectory. Yet demand for trophy assets remains strong—the quarter’s top sale was a $95.3 million beachfront villa in La Mer, underscoring continued appetite for ultra-luxury homes.

Presented by MWC25 Doha

MWC25 Doha Defines the Future: AI Without Bias, Operator Transformation, GSMA Chief Backs MENA’s Rise

MWC25 Doha wrapped its second and final day with powerful conversations on the future of telecoms, enterprise AI, and Qatar’s fast-rising innovation ecosystem. The day opened with a strong message from Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, who urged global operators to stop being “invisible” and reclaim relevance. He called for a decisive shift beyond connectivity—toward sovereign AI clouds, private networks, and next-gen drone solutions—arguing that telcos must build differentiated value in an AI-driven world.

A major highlight of the day was Qatar’s growing confidence as an AI producer, not just a consumer. During the closing keynote, leaders from Qatar’s tech landscape showcased progress across localized AI, robotics, and human-machine interfaces. Mohamed Eltabakh of Qatar Computer Research Institute stressed the risks of relying on Western-trained AI models—citing privacy issues, cultural bias, and the underrepresentation of Arabic language online. He positioned Fanar, Qatar’s homegrown AI platform, as a crucial safeguard to protect linguistic identity and ensure unbiased applications. Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed Al Sada of Qatar Mobility Innovations Center shared ongoing work in soft robotics, collaborative machines for SMEs, and human-machine interaction as Qatar pushes toward “Industry 5.0” and “Society 5.0.” Snoonu CEO Hamad Al-Hajri demonstrated real business impact, explaining how AI-driven personalization and predictive logistics are strengthening the company’s ecommerce engine.

Rounding out the day, Cohere’s president emeritus Martin Kon warned that consumer-grade AI tools cannot simply be dropped into enterprise environments. He argued that true transformation requires bespoke, sector-specific AI built for each company’s workflows. Despite the hype, he called AI the biggest shift in human-computer interaction in 30 years, with the power to close productivity gaps and make workers more capable.

GSMA CEO John Hoffman: “Doha Is Now a Global Hub for the Future of Connectivity”

Smashi Business sat down with John Hoffman, CEO and Director of GSMA, for an exclusive interview at MWC25 Doha, marking the first-ever MWC held in the Middle East. Hoffman revealed that Doha was chosen after more than three years of discussions with Qatar’s MCIT, noting the country’s rare combination of a startup-like innovation culture, strong multinational presence, and a government committed to real implementation—not just vision. These ingredients, he said, created “too great an opportunity” for GSMA to ignore.

Hoffman highlighted that MWC Doha’s debut brings global attention to a region often overshadowed by MWC Barcelona’s scale. With 300+ speakers, 250+ exhibitors, and a powerful ministerial programme uniting more than 50 governments, the event positions Doha as a rising technology hub with long-term potential.

Discussing AI, Hoffman said GSMA has already integrated AI internally and sees it as central to the industry's future. When combined with 5G, IoT, big data, and the right policies, AI becomes a catalyst for major transformation. While still early, he believes widespread adoption will happen faster than many expect.

Looking ahead, Hoffman confirmed GSMA’s long-term commitment to Doha, describing the region as poised to grow in global technological prominence—and MWC Doha as the platform that will help showcase it.