Qatar Foundation is preparing to host the BilAraby Annual Gathering 2026 on September 19 and 20 at Multaqa, the Education City Student Center in Doha. The event, themed "With Our Ideas, We Build," aims to foster dialogue and collaboration around innovative ideas that can drive social impact across the Arab world.
The gathering serves as a platform for creators and thinkers to translate vision and knowledge into actionable initiatives. It will feature keynote presentations, exploratory sessions, interactive workshops, and artistic performances, organized in partnership with 10 local and regional organizations.
Since its inception, the BilAraby initiative has attracted more than 1,600 applications from speakers globally. For the 2026 gathering, over 15 speakers were selected to represent a diverse array of fields, including entrepreneurship, technology, peacebuilding, genetics, sustainability, heritage, and identity. The roster includes notable figures such as Issam Hijazi, a tech entrepreneur from Palestine and Jordan; Dr. Bachir Halimi, an Algerian specialist in Arabic language technology adaptation; and Wael Al-Dahdouh, a Palestinian journalist and head of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau. Other participants range from scientists and mediators to activists and cultural researchers hailing from across the Arabic-speaking region.
The event will also incorporate hands-on experiences provided by its partner organizations. These include exhibitions and programs such as Qatar Reads' “Inspiration of the Pen,” the Queen Rania Foundation’s “Read to Me” initiative, and interactive activities from entities like the QatarDebate Center, Al Araby TV, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Additional engagement opportunities will be offered through the Qatar Scientific Club’s robotics and 3D printing demonstrations, among others. Sponsorship support is being provided by Qatar Airways and Visit Qatar.
The opening ceremony will feature a musical performance by Dr. Mustafa Said, an academic researcher and musician, alongside a series of artistic displays, including the “Architecture of Thought” exhibition developed with Qatar Foundation universities and a hologram-based photo booth dubbed the “BilAraby Lens.” Attendees will also participate in creating a collaborative three-dimensional sculpture representing the event’s spirit.
The BilAraby Annual Gathering 2026 follows a regional outreach tour conducted in August 2026, which visited Damascus, Amman, and Djerba. That tour connected audiences with 14 speakers and approximately 1,000 participants across multiple partner-organized events, reinforcing the initiative’s growing influence.
Registration for the gathering remains open, with tickets available through the official BilAraby website. The event seeks to continue fostering intellectual exchange and practical innovation within the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.