Category: News and Press Releases

ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOOK BUILDING COMMENCEMENT IN RESPECT OF INTENTION TO FLOAT ON THE QATAR STOCK EXCHANGE. NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR WITHIN THE QATAR FINANCIAL CENTRE, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE STATE OF KUWAIT, THE SULTANATE OF OMAN, THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (INCLUDING THE ABU DHABI GLOBAL MARKET AND THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE), THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

QInvest LLC, acting in its capacity as Listing Advisor and Offering Manager on the potential initial public offering (the “IPO”) of MEEZA QSTP LLC (the “Company”), a leading provider of end-to-end IT services in Qatar, hereby announces the price range for the IPO, as well as the commencement of the book building period for the IPO, in accordance with the details set out below.

During the Book Building Subscription Period (as defined below), only Qualified Investors (as defined below) can review the details related to the IPO in the Company’s Offering Prospectus (the “Offering Prospectus”), which will be made available to the Qualified Investors upon commencement of the book building process. The purpose of the book building mechanism is to quantify Qualified Investors demand based on the Price Range, in order to set the final Offer Share price for the Offering.

This announcement relates specifically to the Book Building Subscription Period for Qualified Investors in accordance with the QFMA book building mechanism. The Offering Manager and Listing Adviser and the Company will issue separate announcements for the intention to float in relation to the Offering for individual and corporate public investors in due course.

1. Offering details:

• The offering will comprise of 324,490,000 ordinary fully paid-up shares in the Company (the “Offering”), amounting to 50% of the total issued share capital of the Company (“Offer Shares” and each as “Offer Share” or “Share”).
• The Offer Shares are currently owned by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, who owns 259,592,000 Offer Shares and Ooredoo Q.P.S.C., who owns 64,898,000 Offer Shares (the “Founders”). The Offer Shares will be sold by the Founders.
• The total Offering size is expected to be between QAR 846,918,900 and QAR 911,816,900.

2. Book building process:

• During the Book Building Subscription Period, the Company will be offering a minimum of 30% of the total Offering, and maximum of 50% of the total Offering to Qualified Investors, with the final percentage offered and final Offer Share price to be determined based on Qualified Investor orders within the Price Range.
• After successful completion of the Book Building Subscription Period, the remaining 50-70% of the total Offering will be made available to the general public during the individuals and corporates subscription period, in accordance with the procedures and tranches applied with the allotment strategy specified in the Offering Prospectus.
• Book Building subscription, will be restricted to the following groups of investors (the “Qualified Investors”):
  • financial services companies licensed by the QFMA;
  • banks, insurance companies, and investment funds licensed by the Qatar Central Bank, Qatar Financial Centre or any other regulator within the State of Qatar;
  • State institutions and companies owned by the State of Qatar, Qatar Investment Authority and its subsidiaries; and
  • any other investor deemed qualified by the QFMA to participate in the book building process.
• The price range for the Offer Shares has been set at QAR 2.61 to QAR 2.81 per Offer Share (the “Price Range”), comprised of QAR 1 nominal value per Offer Share, between QAR 1.6 to QAR 1.8 premium per Offer Share and Offering and Listing fees of 1 Qatari Dirham per Offer
• The final price per Offer Share will be determined after the completion of the book building process.
• The number of Qualified Investors shall not be less than five (5).
• The minimum number of Offer Shares that may be ordered by a single Qualified Investor is 3,700,000 (the “Minimum Book Building Order“), and the maximum number of Offer Shares that may be ordered by a single Qualified Investor is 32,449,000 (the “Maximum Book Building Order“), with orders being allocated on a pro-rata basis.
• The maximum number of Offer Shares that may be allocated to any single Qualified Investor shall not exceed 32,449,000 Offer Shares, representing 5% of the total issued share capital of the Company.
• Bids or subscriptions for fractions of Shares will not be considered.
• Any bid received below the Minimum Book Building Order will not be considered.
• Any bid submitted above the Minimum Book Building Order shall be in multiples of 1,000 Offer Shares.
• Any bid submitted above the Maximum Book Building Order shall be treated as a bid for the Maximum Book Building Order.
• Qualified Investors will submit a bid purchase price within the Price Range in multiples of 10 Qatari Dirhams.
• The bidding and book building period for Qualified Investors will commence on 15 January, at 8:00 AM local time and end on 26 January at 3:00 PM local time (the “Book Building Subscription Period”). The overall tentative timeline for the Offering, subject to any amendments which could be made by the regulators, will be as follows:

• The Company has appointed Qatar National Bank Q.P.S.C. as Lead Receiving Bank for the IPO.
• Final allocation of the Offer Shares will be made after the end of the subscription period for the general public subject to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of the State of Qatar in relation to the registration of the Shares’ subscription.

3. Book building subscription instructions:

Qualified Investors may subscribe for the Offer Shares as follows:

• Qualified Investors may authorise, by means of a written authorisation, another party to complete the subscription process on their behalf. The original written authorisation along with a copy of the Qatari ID cards of both the subscriber and the authorised party must be presented to the Offering Manager. In addition, the original subscriber application form must be signed by the subscriber.
• Qualified Investors may subscribe to the Offer Shares by submitting the bid form along with the documents stated in paragraph 3 of these subscription instructions in accordance with the timeline set out above and subject to the following terms:
  • Qualified Investors can fill in the data and submit the original bid form to the Offering Manager’s address at: 39th Floor, Tornado Tower, Majlis Al Tawon Street, West Bay, Doha, Qatar. A copy of the original bid form must also be emailed to afathy@qinvest.com.
  • The Offering Manager shall keep the original bid form and return a stamped copy to the subscriber. Bid forms which are not stamped by the Offering Manager will not be accepted.
  • The bid form will be shared with Qualified Investors by the Offering Manager.
• Qualified Investors wishing to subscribe for Shares must submit the signed original copy of the bid form along with the following documents:
  • An official extract of the valid commercial registration (or any similar document as applicable) or copy of a valid computer card and a copy of the valid Qatari ID card or passport of the authorised signatory. In case of delegation of authority, a letter of authorisation from the company is required.
• Qualified Investors must provide an active NIN number in order to subscribe to the Shares. If a Qualified Investor does not yet have a NIN number, they should obtain a NIN number as soon as possible.
• Any bid forms received outside of the timeline set out above will not be accepted.
• Subject to prior written approval from the Company, the Offering Manager has the right to reject either in whole or in part any bid for the Shares in any of the following cases:
  • If the subscriber is not entitled to subscribe.
  • If multiple bid forms are received from the same subscriber, only the first will be accepted.
  • If the bid form is incomplete, presents wrong information or is incorrectly filled in.
  • If supporting documents stated above in paragraph 3 of these subscription instructions are not submitted with the bid form and a NIN number is not provided.
• After submission of the bid form to the Offering Manager, the subscribers may change or cancel their bids to subscribe for Shares for any reason whatsoever provide that such change or cancellation of their bids is made by submitting a new modified bid form to the Offering Manager in accordance with these subscription instructions.

 4. Contact details:

 

Notes

This announcement and its terms are subject to and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Qatar. Any dispute that may arise thereunder shall be settled first through conciliatory negotiations. Only if an amicable settlement of the dispute is not reached by the parties, may they resort to arbitration according to the rules and regulations of the State of Qatar. The place or seat of arbitration shall be in Doha, Qatar and the language of the arbitration proceedings shall be Arabic The Arabic language is the official language of this announcement, and in the event of any contradiction between the Arabic and the English versions, the Arabic version will prevail.

Disclaimer

This announcement is being distributed subject to the provisions of the Instructions for Securities Offering Through Book Building Mechanism and the Offering an Listing of Securities on the Financial Markets Rulebook issued by the QFMA (the “QFMA Rules”), and should not result in any binding undertakings to acquire shares or subscribe in the Offering. This announcement is for information purposes only and under no circumstances shall constitute an offer or invitation, or form the basis for a decision, to invest in any securities of the Company. Neither this announcement nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction.

Qualified Investors should consult the Offering Prospectus before investing in the Shares. The approval of the QFMA on the Offering Prospectus shall not be considered an approval of financial and economic viability of the Company or of the related evaluation outcomes. Members of the Company’s board of directors and the Offering Manager share a joint responsibility toward the correctness of the data included in the Prospectus. The Offering legal advisor is responsible of the correctness of legal approvals and procedures followed by the Company in the process of offering the Shares.

The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. The information in this announcement is subject to change. Neither the Company nor the Listing Advisor and Offering Manager or their respective affiliates undertake to provide the recipient of this announcement with any additional information, or to update this announcement or to correct any inaccuracies, and the distribution of this announcement shall not be deemed to be any form of commitment on the part of the Company or the Listing Advisor and Offering Manager to proceed with the Offering or any transaction or arrangement referred to therein.

The contents of this announcement are not to be construed as legal, financial or tax advice.

The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

This announcement is not an offer for the sale of securities of the Company, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. The Offer Shares may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or offered in a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company has not registered and does not intend to register any portion of the Shares under the Securities Act or the laws of any state in the United States or to conduct a public offering of any securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being, and may not be, distributed, forwarded or otherwise sent, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States.

This announcement does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the Shares to any person in the United States, European Economic Area, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan or in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. The offer and sale of the Shares have not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of the European Economic Area, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. Subject to certain exceptions, the Shares may not be offered or sold in the European Economic Area, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. There will be no public offer of the Shares in the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan.

Qualified Investors may only subscribe to the Shares on the basis of the QFMA approved Arabic language Offering Prospectus (and any supplementary prospectus in relation thereto) (the “Offering Prospectus”). The information in this announcement is subject to change. In accordance with the QFMA Rules, copies of the Offering Prospectus will, following publication, be available on the websites of the Company, the Offering Manager, and the QSE.

This announcement is not an offer document for the purposes of the QFMA Rules and should not be construed as such. The QFMA and the QSE do not take any responsibility for the contents of this announcement, do not make any representations as to its accuracy or completeness, and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this announcement.

This announcement may include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. Any forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company’s business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth or strategies. Many factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements, including, among other things, risks specifically related to the Company and its operations, the development of global economic and industry conditions, and the impact of economic, political and social developments in the State of Qatar. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligations to update any forward-looking statements.

There is no guarantee that the Offering will occur and you should not base your financial decisions on the Company’s intentions in relation to the Offering at this stage. Acquiring Shares to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing the entire amount invested.

Persons considering an investment should consult an investment advisor or an authorized person specializing in advising on such investments.

The Offering Manager is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Offering. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the Offering and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.

The contents of this announcement have been prepared by and are the sole responsibility of the Company. Neither the Offering Manager nor any of their affiliates or respective directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.

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MEEZA, Qatar’s prominent managed IT services and solutions provider, has announced the successful launch of its 5^th data center building “M-VAULT 5” in Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) to boost Qatar’s cloud services and enhance cybersecurity resilience.

The launch of M-VAULT 5 emphasizes MEEZA’s position as the largest data center service provider in Qatar. This facility will offer cloud hosting services to customers in Qatar, the region, and the world. It will equally play a pivotal role in the economic growth and digital transformation of customers in the region and help position Qatar as a digital hub.

The new facility, which was completed in record time and less than one year after the launch of MEEZA’s 4^th Data Center M-VAULT 4, followed the highest international standards designed to meet the explosive demand for data centers and cloud services by local ventures and international hyperscalers.

The M-VAULT 5 data center building will help speed up the actualization of Qatar’s digital transformation agenda and promote a smarter, more technologically advanced economy. The new building provides some of the best Information Technology (IT) capacity of any data center building in the country, contributing to the improvement of the level of IT services in the region and the world.

Speaking on the occasion, Engineer Ahmad Abdulla Al-Muslemani, Chief Executive Officer of MEEZA, said:

“We are greatly delighted to launch yet another state-of-the-art data center, M-VAULT 5, as part of our continuous efforts to strengthen Qatar’s technological infrastructure and digital preparedness. MEEZA demonstrated unparalleled know-how and ability in this space by completing this project in record time and without compromising our strict adherence to the international standards that enable us to meet the growing demands for managed and cloud services, not only in the local market but also abroad.

“With this additional ready facility, MEEZA has once again proven its ability to provide its customers with quality complex solutions and leading hosting services. We strongly believe that this new data center will contribute significantly to the efforts to transform Qatar to a knowledge-based economy in line with the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030. We look forward to welcoming more institutions to subscribe to our unrivaled services to bolster their IT infrastructure and enhance their cybersecurity and digital maturity readiness. ”

 

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation joint venture, delivers end-to-end managed IT and cloud services that are distinguishable by their high levels of availability and capabilities to provide the best technological solutions to customers, facilitate the transformation of products and services, and empower companies. MEEZA owns four globally rated Tier III certified data centers offering a guaranteed uptime of 99.98%. MEEZA’s data centers are designed with the strictest international standards enabling companies to benefit from greater efficiency rates while reducing risk. MEEZA’s state-of-the-art data center M-VAULT 2 has been certified as LEED Platinum, while the M-VAULT 3 is LEED Gold certified.

DOHA, QATAR, 26 SEPTEMBER 2022: MEEZA, Qatar’s prominent managed IT services and solutions provider, has been selected by Mowasalat (Karwa), Qatar’s end-to-end transport solution provider, to accelerate its digital transformation and to become its key IT Services provider.

Under the agreement, Mowasalat (Karwa) will benefit from MEEZA’s experience in deploying IT services using its experienced Qatar-based teams, standards-driven processes and world-class technology.

As part of this partnership, MEEZA will provide Mowasalat (Karwa) with improved reliability and scalable technology platforms at economies of scale. MEEZA brings the benefits of enterprise technology to large-scale organizations combined with personalized high-quality local customer service.

Speaking about the collaboration, Mr. Mohsin Nasser Al-Marri, MEEZA Chief Operations Officer, said: “MEEZA is delighted to be considered by Mowasalat (Karwa) as it its Managed IT Services provider and to establish a long-term relationship. Our focus is to provide guaranteed uptime required by complex operational environments such as Mowasalat (Karwa) who is leading the road transportation scene across the State of Qatar. MEEZA’s investment in cutting-edge services’ portfolio enables us to deliver flexibility and scalability to our clients and to create an ambitious advanced digital infrastructure, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and in addressing the specific requirements of Mowasalat (Karwa) by providing the best solution for the company.

We take great pride in this partnership as it is aligned with the country’s objectives to digitalize the economy is yet another testament to our keenness to foster strong collaboration with various organizations in Qatar.”

Mowasalat (Karwa)’s CAO, Mr. Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Muftah said: “At Mowasalat (Karwa), our vision is to link the greater community in Qatar with innovative and technologically advanced methods of transportation. We always look for ways to improve our operational procedures and improve our services for the benefit of our staff and the public we serve.

This partnership between Mowasalat (Karwa) and MEEZA is a step forward in making our IT services protected, adaptable, and coherent. Our partnership will also bring in enormous prospects of knowledge exchange between Mowasalat (Karwa) and MEEZA teams to introduce technologically advanced and innovative digital solutions and provide a world-class road transport experience to our customers”.

 

About Mowasalat (Karwa):

Mowasalat (Karwa) is the national road transport provider of Qatar, connecting the community through agile road transport solutions, safely and sustainability. Mowasalat

(Karwa) operates the largest fleet of technologically advanced public buses and taxis in Qatar, a considerable portion of which are hybrid and electric vehicles with negligible environmental footprint. It plays a crucial part in Qatar’s road to zero-emission public transport by 2030. 

DOHA, Qatar, 20 September 2022: MEEZA, Qatar’s prominent end-to-end managed IT services and solutions provider and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have signed a partnership agreement with the aim of contributing to the advancement of the FinTech industry in the State of Qatar.

Through the partnership, MEEZA and QDB, through Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH) – a QDB incubator – intend to collaborate on joint initiatives relating to the FinTech industry and foster a strong relationship as part of efforts to build a reliable FinTech ecosystem in Qatar.

To bolster the collaboration, MEEZA and QDB have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enable QFTH to explore further opportunities with MEEZA in the form of joint projects, and the two parties will cooperate with each other in areas of mutual interest, organise and supervise joint events that achieve the objectives of each party.

The agreement will also enable QFTH to seek input and opinions from MEEZA on matters relating to the technology industry and invite MEEZA to participate in relevant events.

Speaking about the collaboration, Eng. Ahmad Al-Muslemani, Chief Executive Officer, MEEZA, said: It’s a great privilege to collaborate with Qatar FinTech Hub in order to enhance Qatar’s Fintech landscape. We believe that this Memorandum of Understanding will benefit not only our two organisations but also key players and stakeholders in the sector.  This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to fostering well-established partnerships with various organisations in Qatar. We look forward to fruitful implementation of the terms of the agreement for the advancement of Qatar’s economic outlook and in achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and support to the Qatar Digital Transformation Journey.” outcome-based learning environment that offers our students an insight into the types of environments they can expect to enter after graduation.”

Mr. Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, Acting CEO, Qatar Development Bank, said: “Qatar Development Bank always supports efforts that will propel economic growth in Qatar. This Memorandum of Understanding with MEEZA is another step towards creating an empowering environment for experts to share experience and collaborate on financial technology services, further enabling us to build a robust and dynamic FinTech ecosystem in Qatar.”

Qatar FinTech Hub is a global FinTech Hub with the purpose of supporting the development of the FinTech industry in Qatar. QFTH work to facilitate collaboration among the participants and stakeholders of the FinTech ecosystem and to develop meaningful local and global relationships that will advance FinTech vision. The Qatar FinTech Hub represents a range of stakeholders in the industry from early stage FinTech companies to large financial services companies and relevant service providers.

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation joint venture, is an established end-to-end Managed IT services and solutions provider based in Qatar with the mission of becoming the leading provider in the Middle East and North Africa. MEEZA is helping accelerate the growth of Qatar and the region through the provision of world-class Managed IT Services and Solutions.

MEEZA receives Cisco’s ‘Public Sector Partner of the Year’ award in Qatar

• MEEZA maintains Cisco Gold Integrator Partner certification for 2022-2023
• MEEZA achieves its sixth Cisco specialization in ‘Customer Experience’

DOHA, Qatar, 5 July, 2022: MEEZA, Qatar’s prominent Managed and Cloud IT services and solutions provider, has received multiple recognitions from Cisco for its expanded activities and competence in the public sector in Qatar, being awarded as Cisco’s ‘Public Sector Partner of the Year’ in Qatar, achieving ‘Cisco Gold Integrator Partner’ certification for 2022-2023, and ‘Customer Experience Specialization’.

MEEZA was awarded as ‘Public Sector Partner of the Year’ in Qatar by Cisco on the Comstor and Cisco Partner Day in acknowledgement of its expansion and performance in the public government sector.

MEEZA passed the audit and maintained the Cisco Gold Integrator Partner’ certification for 2022-2023.  The company met all personnel, specialization and support requirements and has demonstrated that it is qualified to sell, install and support Cisco Solutions in the Gulf region.

MEEZA has also achieved its sixth specialization – ‘Customer Experience Specialization’ – from Cisco, a new mandate for MEEZA to maintain the Cisco Gold Integrator Partner Level.

Commenting on the achievements, MEEZA CEO Eng. Ahmad Abdulla Al-Muslemani said, “These recognitions embody our continued managed IT market leadership position and trust in MEEZA expertise and capabilities as a major provider in Qatar and the region. Our partnership with Cisco keeps expanding year after year based on mutual trust and exchange of experiences to ensure that our clients receive the best services that are on par with international standard.

“We are happy to receive these recognitions from Cisco, a globally renowned leader in IT and networking. This is an exciting time for us to further prove our competence as the preferred and reliable Qatari IT service provider.”

Hasan Khan, General Manager, Cisco Qatar, said: “We are always proud of MEEZA’s performance in the public domain and its capabilities to deliver excellent services to customers. These recognitions build on the previous accolades MEEZA has received for its professional approach to service delivery. MEEZA has proven its capabilities to assist companies to achieve their digital transformation goals.”

These recognitions followed the previous achievement of Cisco’s Gold Service Integrator and Gold Service Provider certificate.

MEEZA is a well-established managed IT service provider in Qatar with extensive skill set in managing complex environments, full understanding of country regulations and backed by government agreements and strategic partnerships.

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation venture, is centered on a mission and vision to enable, support, and drive sustainable development in Qatar’s information technology sector in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. It offers scalable, highly available and resilient cloud services that are used to improve customer engagement, facilitate the transformation of products and services, and empower businesses.

MEEZA is a fast-growing player in cloud computing services, both in regional and international markets. It continues to innovate and offer cost-effective IT solutions and services to help its clients focus on their core business

DOHA, Qatar, MAY 26, 2022: MEEZA, Qatar’s prominent end-to-end managed IT services and solutions provider, has announced the signing of Partnership MOU with Blockchain Research Institute Middle East (BRIME) during the Blockchain Revolution Summit Qatar 2022, which took place at The St. Regis Doha on May 26, 2022.

The Blockchain Revolution Summit Qatar 2022 bring together top industry leaders, academics, policy-makers, entrepreneurs and researchers to join the blockchain ecosystem and learn, network, innovate and strategise to maximise their technology investments. The summit is aimed at increasing the level of awareness and understanding of blockchain technologies.

Organised by the Blockchain Research Institute Middle East (BRIME), and sponsopred by MEEZA as Platinum sponsor, the Summit highlighted opportunities to create industry solution frameworks and guidelines, leveraging blockchain technologies to secure data, reduce costs, improve timelines and eliminate disputes in any given process.

At the event, Mr. Fadi Nasser, Chief Commercial Officer, MEEZA, joined by other experts across the region in a panel discussion titled ‘The current Blockchain status and regulations in Qatar and the region’.

During the Summit, MEEZA and the Blockchain Research Institute Middle East (BRIME) signed a partnership Memorandum of Understanding aimed to change the blockchain status in Qatar through advancing the research and development process of designing and developing a governed blockchain network.

The MoU aimed at building important skills to work with blockchain technologies through education and training; exposure and participation in the development processes; and evaluating the needed resources to develop and operate blockchain solutions.

Under the agreement, MEEZA and the Blockchain Research Institute Middle East will also join hands to build a local hybrid blockchain network to provide blockchain resources in the country and open the door for developing many blockchain applications.

The two parties will also collaborate to provide a local blockchain network that abides by the national regulations, policies and standards.

The project will put Qatar among the first countries in the region to have a blockchain network on a large scale and open new business opportunities and models to the project partners and to the local market.

Through the collaboration, the blockchain network will be led and governed by a governing council of highly diversified organisations. Each Council member will be committed to blockchain network maintenance, decentralisation and innovation. The members will be owning and running a blockchain node on their choice of hosting resources.

The rights and roles of the members will be shared early in the project.

Commenting on MEEZA’s sponsorship and participation in the event, Mr. Faisal Al-Kuwari, MEEZA’s Chief Technology Officer said: “We are proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the Blockchain Revolution Summit Qatar 2022, an event that will foster synergy in promoting better understanding and awareness of blockchain technologies not only in Qatar but across the Middle East region. The Summit provide a platform for industry leaders and expert share ideas and experiences on how to benefit from blockchain technologies to enhance industry performance in this fast-pacing technology-driven world.”

Mr. Faisal Al-Kuwari added, “We will also sign a significant Memorandum of Understanding with the Blockchain Research Institute Middle East to engender a strong collaboration that will revolutionise the blockchain industry in Qatar and serve as an example for other countries to follow. We look forward to having fruitful outcomes that will benefit all stakeholders in the industry.”

Ms. Aline Daoud, Blockchain Research Institute Middle East Managing Partner, said: “We are excited to have MEEZA as the Platinum Sponsor of the Blockchain Revolution Summit Qatar 2022. MEEZA is always committed to supporting efforts that contribute to knowledge sharing and skill enhancement that will benefit key players in various sectors. We are also pleased to be signing a landmark partnership agreement with MEEZA to further promote capacity building in blockchain technologies and create a formidable network of local experts.”

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation venture, is centred on a mission and vision to enable, support, and drive sustainable development in Qatar’s information technology sector in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. It offers scalable, highly available and resilient cloud services that are used to improve customer engagement, facilitate the transformation of products and services, and empower businesses.

MEEZA is a fast-growing player in cloud computing services, both in regional and international markets. It continues to innovate and offer cost-effective IT solutions and services to help its clients focus on their core business

Second QDBA award for Qatar’s leading Managed IT Services & Solutions Provider

Doha, Qatar, 31 March 2022: In a move that reinforces MEEZA’s reputation as Qatar’s leading Managed IT Services & Solutions Provider, MEEZA has won the award for ‘Cloud Solution of the Year’ at the Qatar Digital Business Awards (QDBA).

Under the patronage of His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, this year’s Qatar Digital Business Awards 2021 took place at a gala dinner hosted during the recent Smart City Expo Doha 2022 and organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The winning project, M-VAULT 4 was launched to contribute to the acceleration of Qatar’s digital transformation agenda and to enhance Qatar’s position as a regional and global centre of cloud data, Also it provides the largest Information Technology (IT) capacity of any data center building in the country, which will improve the level of IT services in the region and the world The award recognises MEEZA’s success in not only providing cloud-based solutions, services and infrastructure to power Qatar’s digital transformation but also reaching the highest industry standards by obtaining CISCO Gold Service Integrator standard, and four Microsoft Gold certifications.

To win the Cloud Solution of the Year 2021 award, ISO-certified MEEZA needed to demonstrate that its solutions for managing and monitoring applications, data and services residing in the cloud were efficient, innovative, secure and meet the needs of customers working in rapidly changing sectors.

In its seventh year, the prestigious Qatar Digital Business Awards celebrates and honors the companies and entrepreneurs who are driving the growth of Qatar’s digital sector.

For the Qatar Digital Business Awards 2021, 33 small and medium-sized enterprises were recognized after a record number of nominations were reviewed by a jury representing industry experts, university professors and government officials.

Eng. Ahmad Abdulla Al-Muslemani, CEO of MEEZA commented: “MEEZA is delighted to receive the prestigious Cloud Solution of the Year award for our cloud-based services that meet our customers’ needs and demands for the best quality solutions. Our priority is for MEEZA to contribute to the progress of Qatar’s IT sector, while our focus remains on the requirements of our customers and the digital transformation of the state of Qatar.”

“We thank the Qatar Digital Business Awards and applaud their decision to recognize MEEZA for the innovation, excellence and security of our cloud solutions.

To learn more about MEEZA’s award-winning Managed IT Services and Solutions, visit www.meeza.net

MEEZA’s leading experts share insights on the needs of the modern-day ever-evolving smart cities

DOHA, Qatar, MARCH 29, 2022: MEEZA, Qatar’s prominent end-to-end managed IT services and solutions provider, has announced it is a Gold Sponsor of the Smart City Expo Doha 2022, held today and tomorrow at Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Smart City Expo Doha 2022 is a global platform dedicated to discussing, tackling and solving the challenges facing the cities of tomorrow, with the aims of introducing innovative technology that will contribute to improving the lives of citizens, residents and visitors through achieving social inclusion, sustainability and empowerment.

Under the patronage of HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)  the leading Smart City Expo Doha 2022 in partnership with Fira Barcelona. Smart City Expo Doha brings together experts from around the globe to share ideas and solutions on how to create a better, more sustainable future for cities and their citizens.

The event, to be held under the theme ‘Sustaining a future of resilience’, brings together more than 2,500 visitors, over 70 prominent guest speakers, sustainability experts and policymakers, as well as 40 sponsors and exhibitors from 20 countries around the world.

During the event, MEEZA is showcasing its cutting-edge Smart Technologies and advanced expertise in building Smart Cities. MEEZA’s experience in the field includes supporting and helping build the technological infrastructure for a number of leading projects in Qatar.

Mr. Faisal Al-Kuwari, Chief Technology Officer, MEEZA, is participating in a session titled ‘A World of Data: Start-up Solutions Making Use of Urban Data’ while Mr. Fadi Nasser, Chief Commercial Officer, MEEZA, is taking part in a Solution Talk titled ‘Urban infrastructures: Digitalisation and innovation for Enhancing Smart Cities’ to share MEEZA’s insights into the current needs of the modern-day ever-evolving smart cities.

Commenting on MEEZA’s sponsorship and participation in the event, Eng. Ahmad Abdulla Al-Muslemani, MEEZA CEO, said: “We are extremely honoured to be a Gold Sponsor of Smart City Expo Doha 2022 as part of our responsibility to support Qatar’s vision of building a better technology-driven future. MEEZA is committed to supporting Qatar’s unwavering efforts to transition seamlessly to a knowledge-based economy with a focus on innovative ideas and advanced technology that guarantee a sustainable environment for the future generations without compromising the country’s rich cultural heritage and identity.”

He added, “We believe that our participation in the Smart City Expo Doha 2022 provides an opportunity to leverage on our continuous efforts to bring MEEZA brand to the world by sharing our experience with global target markets. We are proud to be working with Qatar, especially the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, to create an ambitious advanced digital infrastructure, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation venture, is centered on a mission and vision to enable, support, and drive sustainable development in Qatar’s information technology sector in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. It offers scalable, highly available and resilient cloud services that are used to improve customer engagement, facilitate the transformation of products and services, and empower businesses.

MEEZA is a fast-growing player in cloud computing services, both in the regional and international markets. The company continues to innovate and offer cost-effective IT solutions and services to help its clients focus on their core business.

Doha, Qatar – 27 November 2021: His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali Al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology launched the 4^th data center building of MEEZA “M-VAULT 4”, leading Managed IT Services and Solutions provider. The new data centre building hosts Microsoft Cloud data centre region offering cloud services to customers in Qatar, the region, and the world.

The new data center building M-VAULT 4 was launched during an official ceremony that was attended by high-level attendees; His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali Al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al-Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEEZA and Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Qatar, and Lana Khalaf, the Microsoft Qatar Country Manager.

The newly launched M-VAULT 4 data center building, will further contribute to the acceleration of Qatar’s digital transformation agenda and support a smarter, more technologically advanced economy. The new building is considered the biggest data center building in Qatar and has been built in line with the highest international standards and provides the largest Information Technology (IT) capacity of any data center building in the country. As such, it enhances Qatar’s position as a regional and global centre of cloud data and improves the level of IT services in the region and the world. Moreover, the launch of the Microsoft data center hosted in M-VAULT 4 data center building will play an instrumental role in supporting smart solutions that contribute to supporting the path of transformation and growth for various vital fields and economic sectors, including healthcare, scientific research, artificial intelligence, education, energy as well as managing and organising major sporting events, amongst others.

On this occasion, His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali Al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, commented:

“We are pleased to launch the M-VAULT 4 data center. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to MEEZA for their efforts in bringing this data center building to completion, which will contribute to providing more cloud hosting services and is considered a new important milestone in Qatar Azure Region journey that we have embarked on in partnership with Microsoft. Also pleased to see the tremendous progress since the announcement, and we can confidently say we are in the last mile of execution. Organizations in Qatar and region will soon be able to benefit from the innovative solutions provided by Qatar Azure cloud region,  that keep pace with the development of the era and drive growth”.

In the same context, His Excellency added

“The center will promote technological development and digital transformation in the State of Qatar and will improve investment opportunities at different local sectors. Therefore, contribute to achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030; providing a world-class infrastructural backbone and a knowledge-based economy that contributes to diversifying the national economy”.

For his part, Engineer Ahmad Abdulla AL-Muslemani, Chief Executive Officer of MEEZA, said:

“We are very pleased to inaugurate the new data center building M-VAULT 4, the fourth to be introduced on MEEZA’s list of data centers and data center buildings. An outstanding milestone to be added to our accomplishments, especially in that its implementation and delivery has been achieved as per initial plans despite the great challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. This building will contribute to strengthening our technological infrastructure that is necessary to enhance the level of cloud services in Qatar and compete with a global market”.

In the same context, he added:

“At MEEZA, we do not accept anything less than excellence which is why we always strive to adopt the highest standards of international practices and offer state-of-the-art services and distinguished hosting solutions to our customers, who can benefit from the highest rates of compliance, availability, and cybersecurity. Moreover, this step paves the way towards new promising prospects for the exchange of information, ideas, and technological development, whilst playing a pivotal role in Qatar’s digital transformation. Managing the technological production and boosting the domestic public product through this sector allows us to support the country’s attempts to achieve a knowledge economy in accordance with the fundamental pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Lana Khalaf, Country Manager at Microsoft Qatar, congratulated MEEZA on their 13^th year anniversary and the inauguration of their 4^th data centre building, saying: Congratulations to MEEZA on this important milestone and exemplary execution towards Qatar Azure region. We’re proud to partner with the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to bring the power of the Microsoft Cloud to customers in Qatar and the surrounding region in the most sustainable way. It’s a further example of Microsoft’s commitment to the economic growth and digital transformation of customers in the region by making Azure more readily available and help position Qatar as a digital hub for years to come”.

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation joint venture, delivers end-to-end managed IT and cloud services that are distinguishable by their high levels of availability and capabilities to provide the best technological solutions to customers, facilitate the transformation of products and services, and empower companies. MEEZA owns four globally rated Tier III certified data centers offering a guaranteed uptime of 99.98%. MEEZA’s data centers are designed with the strictest international standards enabling companies to benefit from greater efficiency rates while reducing risk. MEEZA’s state-of-the-art data center M-VAULT 2 has been certified as LEED Platinum, while the M-VAULT 3 is LEED Gold certified.

Doha, Qatar –15September 2021 – MEEZA, Qatar’s pioneering managed IT services centre, has achieved Gold partner status in the ‘HPE Partner Ready for Service Providers’’ program, MEEZA is the only certified Service Provider partner for HPE in Qatar today, and one of only 140 partners who have reached the highest, Gold Service Provider partner status, globally, As such, Meeza will be endorsed as an official HPE Gold Service Provider partner to HPE customers and partners.  joining over 400 leading service providers around the world to deliver Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s innovative solutions for managed and cloud-based services.

The HPE Partner Ready Program brings together leading service providers from around the world for hosting, managed, and cloud-based services that meet their customers’ most stringent business needs. Partners are able to leverage HPE technologies and services to meet business SLAs, while delivering strategic business benefits like reduced operating costs.

Pursuant to this, MEEZA will build a business and market plan to promote its joint offering with HPE to customers using digital and local presence. The new partner status with HPE will enable MEEZA customers to benefit from improved asset protection, better business agility, and optimized operating efficiency.

Commenting on this achievement, Mr. Faisal Al-Kuwari, MEEZA CTO said:

“MEEZA is a proud Gold partner of Hewlett Packard Enterprises. This status bears testament to MEEZA’s state-of-the-art technology and industry-leading services that are continuously evolved to match the changing needs of our customers and holding true to our mission of becoming the leading Managed IT Services & Solutions provider in the Middle East and North Africa.”

On the news of the Gold partner program status, Mr.Hani Salameh, Country Sales Lead, HPE Qatar said:

“We are thrilled to have MEEZA joining our partner ecosystem in Qatar as the first Gold Service Provider in the country. MEEZA brings rich services offerings and has a credible team providing valuable advice and insight to resolve business challenges and drive outcomes. Together we aim to extend the best in class services to customers in Qatar and accelerate their digital transformation in this fast-changing market.”

Ms. Anna Nieminen, Service Provider Sales lead for UK, Irland, Middle East and South Africa Region also commented on the new partner status:

“As the latest Gold Service Provider partner, MEEZA now benefits from HPE service provider-ready solutions, services, flexible business models, and a bespoke go-to-market partnership. HPE is committed to innovating new solutions and enabling mutual growth with our partners to solve our customer’s biggest business problems.  Together Meeza and HPE can offer customers the latest edge-to-cloud solutions and services that unlock value from their data and deliver business outcomes.”

A prominent Managed IT service provider in Qatar, MEEZA leads the industry with its Tier III certified Data Centre Services, Cloud Services, and IT Security Services. The provider offers an extensive skill set to its clients in managing complex digital environments that is backed by government agreements and strategic partnerships, guaranteeing the highest standards for its clients.

MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation venture, is committed to accelerating the digital growth of Qatar through the provision of world-class Managed IT Services and Solutions. Through its recently awarded gold status as a Microsoft Partner and cost-effective IT solutions and services, MEEZA continues to be instrumental in shaping digital transformations for businesses, start-ups and government organizations, taking the country closer to achieving the objectives outlined in the Qatar National Vision 2030.