The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) held its annual “Journey & Achievement Ceremony 2026” on Wednesday at its headquarters, recognizing the contributions and professional development of its employees. The event was attended by H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the QOC, alongside senior officials including H.E. Mohamed bin Yousef Al Mana, First Vice President; H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Second Vice President; and H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Committee.
During the ceremony, 102 employees were honored across several categories, including 30 recipients of the Appreciation, Excellence, Incentive, and “Ambition” awards, as well as 72 graduates from the QOC’s 2025 development programmes. The Appreciation Award acknowledged employees with 25 or more years of service, along with retirees who concluded their careers with significant contributions to the Committee. The Excellence Award recognized outstanding leadership, professional competence, and high-quality performance across supervisory, specialist, and employee categories.
Incentive Awards were presented in five categories: Job Commitment, Initiative, Cooperation and Teamwork, Distinguished Team Leader, and Effective Participation in Organizing Sports Events. These awards highlighted employee dedication, innovation, collaboration, and leadership, particularly in facilitating sporting events. The “Ambition” Award celebrated seven employees who achieved academic qualifications in 2025, reflecting their commitment to ongoing education and skill development.
The ceremony also marked the graduation of 72 employees from five specialized development programmes launched since 2019. These include the Leadership Excellence Programme, Sports Events Organising Cadres Programme, Competencies Programme, Tawasol Programme, and Artificial Intelligence Programme. These initiatives aim to cultivate leadership skills, promote effective event management, enhance institutional communication, and support digital transformation through artificial intelligence integration.
Ms. Maryam Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari, Director of Human Resources and Administrative Affairs at the QOC, emphasized that the ceremony underscores the value of dedication and continuous improvement within the organisation. She noted the theme for this year’s event was “Creativity,” highlighting the Committee’s focus on fostering innovation and seeking improved approaches to work and development.
Al Kuwari also pointed to the QOC’s strategic efforts to recruit and retain talent from leading universities across various specialized fields, including sports management, information systems, law, finance, marketing, and communications. Over the past three years, the Committee has hired 98 new staff members, with women now representing 42% of the workforce, including increased presence in supervisory and leadership roles.
Since the inception of its development programmes, 277 QOC employees have graduated, with nearly 100 training sessions delivered in 2025 alone, benefiting approximately 1,000 participants from the QOC and affiliated sports federations and committees. The Artificial Intelligence Programme, among the newest offerings, aims to equip employees with the skills necessary to leverage AI tools for enhanced productivity and innovation in their work.