Qatar Internet of Things (IoT) Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Qatar Internet of Things (IoT) Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Qatari Internet of Things (IoT) Market is expected to register a CAGR of 32.65% over the forecast period (2022-2027). Of all the Arab countries, Qatar is one of the few that can be termed technologically advanced. The country witnesses a high rate of innovation, starting from IoT, virtual reality, robotics, and the most recent, 5G. As part of its long-term vision and strategy, Qatar aims to become one of the smartest countries in the Middle East. Given the high internet and smartphone penetration levels, the country is poised to grow in terms of technology readiness, and it shows a high willingness to adopt new technologies.

Key Highlights

• The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) in Qatar established Tasmu Digital Valley as an innovation cluster where multiple sectors can work together to achieve the goal of Smart Qatar. Tasmu Digital Valley is a smart platform that connects startups, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, academics, students, multinational corporations, and institutions with the common goal of innovating new digital solutions. IoT as a component is 40% of the Tasmu Smart Qatar use cases. The government has committed to spending QAR 6 billion over the next few years implementing the Tasmu program. Other smart city initiatives that will draw heavily on IoT in their development: Lusail, a greenfield smart city with a target population of 260,000 to be completed in 2020 for USD 45 billion. Msheireb, a regeneration project of Doha's downtown area, is focused on connectivity for USD 5.5 billion.
• Labeeb IoT is a product developed by the Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC). QMIC is Qatar's first independent innovation center to focus on developing and deploying smart mobility services and systems. This promoted locally engineered knowledge and innovations to create technology-based industries that address regional challenges and grow with mega projects in Qatar. In particular, QMIC has been delivering IoT platforms and IoT solutions and services across several vertical domains, including Logistics and Telematics, Intelligent Transport, Road Safety, and Environment. Through its Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) locations, QMIC is working with major global and national companies and stakeholders to create a market-focused innovations ecosystem in the region.
• In December 2019, Microsoft announced plans to establish a new cloud data center region in Qatar to deliver its trusted, intelligent cloud services and expand the Microsoft global cloud infrastructure to 55 cloud regions across several countries. Qatar is anticipated to be available starting with Microsoft Azure in 2021, and Dynamics 365, Office 365, and Power Platform to follow. This collaboration with Microsoft accelerates the efforts led by the Government of Qatar to implement the country's digital transformation plan and build a knowledge-based economy as presented in the Qatar National Vision 2030. Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) announced its choice of Azure as its preferred cloud platform. Microsoft Azure is an ever-expanding set of cloud services that offers computing, networking, databases, analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT) services.
• Qatar's elderly population (greater than 65 years) is estimated at over 30,000 persons. The increase in the elderly population results in an increasing burden of chronic health disease. This results in a decrease in physical activity and loss of mobility. Also, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at the highest risk. This significantly creates the need for Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) tracking and response to support patients' mobility through sensors and provide immediate response in emergencies. The utilization of this IoT application could provide rapid medical assistance, especially for the elderly, by developing a system of sensors that monitor patient health and movement. The system is connected to caregivers and emergency response teams to provide assistance based on patient location.

Key Market TrendsIncrease in Adoption of Smart Homes Projects

• The 5G era is expected to reshape current wireless communication methods used for IoT-based applications. IoT cannot succeed without adequate and affordable wireless connectivity, interoperability, and common standards. 5G has enormous potential to significantly impact how IoT ecosystems are designed, specifically in reliability, scalability, latency, security, and the level of individual control on connectivity parameters. Cellular IoT deployments in the region are accelerating across the connected cars, utilities, and transportation industries, and with 5G on the horizon, IoT adoption is likely to grow even faster. Network providers across Qatar are increasingly offering 5G connectivity and 5G-enabled devices.
• In November 2021, Ericsson and Ooredoo teamed up to ensure that fans in Qatar will have unforgettable 5G experiences during the football World Cup. Ericsson will enable cutting-edge network optimization and event management in eight connected stadiums across six cities. The network management partnership covers the 5G experience in airports, fan zones, and important tourist attractions. Ericsson and Ooredoo Qatar will deliver seamless, immersive, and high-performance experiences by exploiting the full potential of 5G.
• In December 2021, Vodafone Qatar announced the completion of Qatar's first successful millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum experiment, marking the next milestone in building its world-class GigaNet 5G network. The trial reached system capabilities of 8.1 Gbps on the downlink (DL) and 734 Mbps on the uplink (UL) using new and sophisticated 5G technologies provided across the mmWave Spectrum.
• According to HE Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, Qatar has the highest Internet penetration rate globally, with 99% of the country's total population connected. The minister noted that Qatar has also emerged as one of the leading countries in terms of 5G network coverage, speaking at the TASMU Platform launch ceremony. Qatar, he claimed, was one of the first countries in the world to launch a 5G network that spans about half of the country's territory.

Transportation and Logistics Expected to Hold Significant Share

• As Qatar's transportation infrastructure grows, an increase in traffic-related problems such as traffic congestion, safety, and pollution becomes inevitable. This will necessitate the implementation of sensory infrastructure to collect data about traffic conditions and make the appropriate changes. The application of traffic sensors to monitor traffic conditions and trends and collect actionable data could curb the amount of congestion and foster a safer and more active travel experience, which could significantly reduce the amount of time the Qatari population spends stuck in traffic during their daily commutes. Other IoT use cases include connected transport networks, road to vehicle communication, and public transportation social listening.
• Vehicles in Qatar operate in silos despite being the major cause of traffic congestion and road incidents. There is a significant potential to decrease congestion and collisions by connecting vehicles to the infrastructure. With the usage of IoT, vehicles could receive real-time roadway information from central traffic management systems. The vehicles can recognize high-risk situations in advance, resulting in driver alerts and warnings through specific actions. The drivers could also make aware of their surroundings, such as traffic lights, traffic signals, parking lots, and emergencies, to act accordingly. This could open significant opportunities in Connected Vehicles (V2V), Real-Time Crowd and Transportation Management, and Mobility Contextual Pre-Advice.
• In December 2019, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Volkswagen AG partnered in Project Qatar Mobility, putting a fleet of self-driving Level 4 electric shuttles into Qatar's capital Doha in 2022. The plan is to develop an autonomous transport project, which will transform the future of urban mobility into the commercial and sustainable deployment of AD shuttles and bus services. IoT technologies can drastically improve the abilities of the self-driving vehicle in better understanding its environment. Autonomous vehicles are thus connected to share information from the onboard sensors and smartphones of pedestrians and cyclists, traffic sensors, parking detectors, etc. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the largest sporting event globally, Qatar aims to be the venue for the world's first emission-free, electric, and autonomous public transport system.
• Qatar has developed a new and sustainable transportation network; however, a few opportunities at the municipality levels need to be implemented to optimize the new transportation system's performance. One of the resulting opportunities is to introduce an e-bike sharing service. This will help reduce air pollution, traffic congestion, and associated health benefits. The utilization of connected eBikes could create a cost-effective and sustainable measure to address prevalent transportation issues such as additional support to other transportation modes, e.g., Metro and Bus stations. This could be coupled with additional services by providing eBike sharing stations at strategically located areas to help decrease dependency on carbon-based transportation modes.

Competitive Landscape

The Qatar Internet of Things (IoT) market appears to be moderately fragmented due to the presence of significant technological giants. Key strategies adopted by the major players in the market are product innovation and mergers and acquisitions. Some of the major players in the market are Labeeb IoT (Qatar Mobility Innovations Center), Ooredoo Q.P.S.C., Vodafone Qatar P.Q.S.C., Cisco Systems Inc., etc.

• November 2021 - Ericsson announced its partnership with Oredoo, which will support network optimization and event management in eight connected stadiums across six cities in Qatar. The partnership will see Ericsson and Ooredoo Qatar managing 5G radio access network (RAN) operation performance across the network through Ericsson Managed Services solutions.
• June 2021 - Vodafone Qatar introduced its enhanced Internet of Things (IoT) Fleet Management solution, enabling businesses to maximize their fleet operations' efficiency. The solution comes with features that include Fleet Module, Maintenance Module, Reports Module, and Driving Analytics Module.

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• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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