Doha: The exhibition floor at MWC26 Doha has been completely booked ahead of the event’s opening on November 8, 2026, as global technology companies, telecom operators and policymakers prepare to gather in Qatar. Organiser GSMA has announced that exhibitor space is sold out, while general attendee registration has entered its final stage.

The second edition of Mobile World Congress (MWC) Doha will take place from November 8 to 10 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC). The event is being organised in partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).

This year’s gathering will bring together participants from the telecommunications, technology and government sectors to discuss artificial intelligence, next-generation mobile networks, cybersecurity and digital transformation. It will also be held alongside the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference, PP-26, for the first time.

Despite the exhibition floor being fully booked, the organisers have confirmed that general attendee registration remains open, although prospective visitors have been urged to complete registration ahead of the event.

Major technology companies confirm participation

The sold-out exhibition floor will feature a range of international technology companies, telecom operators and research institutions.

Confirmed exhibitors include Carnegie Mellon University, Cisco, Fortinet, Google Cloud, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Microsoft, Ooredoo, Scale AI, Strategy&, Trend Micro, VEON, Vodafone Qatar and ZTE.

The participation of these organisations highlights the event’s growing importance as a platform for discussions on connectivity infrastructure and the technologies shaping the digital economy.

The conference programme will also feature senior representatives from Accenture, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Google, Huawei, Mastercard, Microsoft, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Ooredoo, PwC Middle East, ServiceNow, VEON and Vodafone Qatar.

The organisers expect the discussions to cover the commercial and technological challenges facing the telecommunications industry, particularly the need to generate greater returns from 5G investments and prepare networks for future applications.

The exhibition sell-out indicates that all available exhibitor space has been allocated. It does not mean that visitor registration or general attendee access has closed.

Artificial intelligence and next-generation networks take centre stage

Artificial intelligence will be among the major themes at MWC26 Doha. Discussions will examine how organisations can deploy AI at scale, integrate it into business operations and build the infrastructure needed to support increasingly advanced applications.

The programme will also focus on 5G monetisation, including how telecom operators can generate new revenue from existing networks and enterprise services.

Another important area will be the transition towards next-generation networks, including developments in 6G, cloud-native infrastructure and satellite connectivity.

Eight dedicated summits are scheduled across the three-day event:

  • Future Networks Summit: Examines standalone 5G, cloud-native networks and the technological choices shaping the 6G era.
  • Security Summit: Focuses on telecommunications threats, cybersecurity priorities and intelligence sharing.
  • Smart Mobility Summit: Explores autonomous vehicles, advanced air mobility, AI-powered transportation and electric mobility.
  • Satellite and NTN Summit: Discusses satellite connectivity, direct-to-device services and integration with terrestrial mobile networks.
  • Sovereign AI and National Digital Strategy Summit: Examines how governments are developing domestic AI capabilities through infrastructure, data, regulation and talent.
  • Agentic AI Summit: Looks at the use of autonomous AI agents in enterprise operations, telecommunications networks and customer engagement.
  • AI in Action Summit: Presents practical examples of AI deployment for productivity, automation and business operations.
  • Open Telco AI Summit: Focuses on telecommunications-grade AI and open technology building blocks.

Together, these sessions are expected to address the relationship between connectivity infrastructure, artificial intelligence and national digital strategies.

MWC26 to coincide with ITU’s PP-26

One of the notable developments this year is the co-location of MWC26 Doha with the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, known as PP-26.

The ITU conference will run from November 9 to 27 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. It brings together representatives of governments and the global telecommunications sector to discuss international digital and connectivity policies.

The GSMA Ministerial Programme will also return to MWC Doha for a second year. It will bring together ministers, regulators, city governments, international organisations and senior industry representatives.

The programme will include closed-door meetings, guided exhibition tours and networking sessions over three days. These discussions are intended to address policy and regulatory priorities influencing the future of global connectivity.

A Digital Leadership Forum is scheduled for the first day of MWC26, with support from Qatar’s MCIT and participation from the ITU. The forum will examine policy, investment and regulatory priorities associated with inclusive digital transformation.

The simultaneous presence of technology executives, policymakers and international telecommunications representatives is expected to give the Doha gathering a wider policy dimension.

MENA Ignite Hackathon attracts more than 1,500 participants

Ahead of the main event, the MENA Ignite Hackathon attracted more than 1,500 participants from Arab League countries and Türkiye, according to the GSMA.

Described by the organisers as the first GSMA Open Gateway hackathon for the Middle East and North Africa, the competition featured seven challenge themes.

A total of 63 teams developed working prototypes using multiple CAMARA application programming interfaces (APIs) orchestrated through AI agents.

The strongest 10 teams presented their solutions to a judging panel. Three winning teams have been invited to showcase their projects at MWC26 Doha.

The overall winner is scheduled to be announced on November 9. The initiative is intended to encourage developers to create practical applications using telecommunications network capabilities and open APIs.

The hackathon also demonstrates the growing connection between telecom infrastructure and AI-driven software development.

General attendee registration remains open

Although the exhibition floor is sold out, people interested in attending MWC26 Doha can still register as general attendees.

The organisers have issued a final registration call as the opening date approaches. Registration information is available through the official MWC Doha website.

The distinction between exhibitor bookings and attendee registration is important. The sell-out announcement applies to the exhibition floor, while general attendee passes remain available at the time of the announcement.

Doha strengthens its position as a regional technology hub

The sold-out exhibition floor and participation of major international companies underline the growing significance of MWC Doha in the Middle East and North Africa’s technology sector.

The event’s agenda extends beyond mobile connectivity to include AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, satellite services, smart mobility and digital policy. The simultaneous ITU gathering is also expected to bring international regulatory discussions into closer contact with industry developments.

As the event begins on November 8, the focus will be on how governments, telecom operators and technology companies can work together to expand digital infrastructure and translate emerging technologies into practical services.

The second edition of MWC Doha therefore represents an important opportunity for the region to strengthen international partnerships and discuss the next phase of its digital transformation.