Doha: Qatar Foundation (QF) launched the 2nd edition of the BilAraby Annual Gathering 2026 at Multaqa in Education City on Saturday. Held under the theme 'With Our Ideas, We Build', the two-day event brings together thinkers, creators, and experts from various sectors to discuss ways of harnessing knowledge and creativity to address issues facing society and boost the Arabic Language's position.
According to Qatar News Agency, the gathering features 14 speakers on its main stage. Through dialogue that brings together diverse experiences and allows issues to be examined from different perspectives, participants are exploring ways to leverage knowledge and innovation to develop solutions that respond to the needs of communities while taking their cultural contexts into account.
Commenting on the event, Executive Director at the Office of Qatar Foundation's Chief Executive Officer, Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Ajail, emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing and creativity. He noted that many challenges cannot be addressed by a single discipline and highlighted the significance of using Arabic as the language of exploration, with this year's theme focusing on ideas that benefit communities.
The first day's program covered a wide range of topics including media, science and technology, Artificial Intelligence, precision medicine, and genomics, as well as architecture, heritage, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability. It also addressed peacebuilding, sports, and social work.
Notable speakers included Wael Al Dahdouh, Head of Al Jazeera Media Network's Gaza Strip Bureau, who shared his experiences as a journalist under challenging circumstances, and Dr. Said Ismail, Professor of Genomics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, who discussed the role of genomics in understanding identity. Other speakers included Mauritanian social activist Lalla Kaber El Ghallawi and Qatari adventurer Khalid Al Jaber.
Alongside the main-stage talks, the gathering featured exploratory sessions, workshops, and interactive spaces presented by local and regional partners. These activities offered attendees the opportunity to engage in discussions, share experiences, and participate in hands-on activities.
Among the notable sessions were 'Arabic-Language Artificial Intelligence' by HBKU and 'Gen Z and Beyond: Between Material Temptation and Questions of Values and Identity' by QatarDebate Center. Interactive demonstrations included 3D printing and robotics presented by Qatar Scientific Club and the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
The BilAraby Annual Gathering 2026 continues until 20 September, with the second day's agenda featuring talks such as 'What They Don't Tell You About Billion-Dollar Companies' by Qatari Entrepreneur Hamad Mubarak Al Hajri and 'Our Imagination Is Not a Luxury' by Saudi Entrepreneur Eng. Yasser Bahjatt. Exploratory sessions include the Al Sharq Forum's 'Initiative Accelerator Lab' and the Queen Rania Foundation's 'Read to Me'.
The gathering is part of QF's BilAraby initiative, which aims to create spaces for dialogue in Arabic and strengthen connections among people with ideas and expertise across various fields.