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Media City Qatar has completed arrangements to host the inaugural Middle East edition of CNN’s Global Perspectives series on October 29 at the Rosewood Doha. The event will feature on-stage conversations led by senior CNN correspondents exploring intersections of power influence technology and culture in a rapidly changing landscape. CNN said in a statement that the program builds on the success of its first Global Perspectives event focused on Africa in November 2025 and forms part of the network’s deepened commitment to the region.
An announcement from CNN in September detailed an initial speaker list that includes Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi chief executive of the Qatar Investment Authority Alex Mashrabov chief executive of Higgsfield Ester Baiget president and chief executive of Novonesis Tareq Amin chief executive of HUMAIN Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko and actress-singer Yasmina El Abd. Wolf Blitzer and Bijan Hosseini have joined Christiane Amanpour Richard Quest Becky Anderson and Eleni Giokos to moderate sessions. Ellana Lee group senior vice president for Asia-Pacific and global head of productions at CNN stated that the gathering will bring together some of the region’s and the world’s most compelling voices to look toward the future through the prism of this unique area.
The original April schedule was postponed because of regional events with the revised date confirmed after talks between CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Sir Mark Thompson and Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani chairman of Media City Qatar. This partnership extends from CNN’s launch of a new operational center in Qatar in 2025 as part of its strategy to expand regional content production. Media City Qatar said the collaboration utilises its facilities and networks to support high-level international programming.
Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani stated that Media City Qatar is delighted to host Global Perspectives: In Doha reflecting Qatar’s continued role as a bridge between the East and the West. He added that the event unites ideas and audiences that shape global conversations in line with the hub’s aim to foster innovation and discourse. The chairman’s comments were included in the network’s initial announcement of the Doha edition.
Media City Qatar figures show more than 500 companies have been licensed with a 60 percent increase since the beginning of the year and a fivefold rise compared with 2024. Qatar Investment Promotion Agency data indicates that roughly 60 percent of these firms are startups while 70 percent originate from outside the Middle East underscoring the hub’s international draw. A report produced in partnership with Omdia for Media City Qatar projects that advertising revenues for visual podcasts in the GCC will reach 17.3 million dollars by the end of 2026 rising to 37.1 million dollars by 2030.
Highlights from the October 29 program along with news-making interviews will appear across CNN platforms with a dedicated broadcast scheduled for CNN International and U.S. subscribers to CNN All Access. The forum marks the second full edition of the Global Perspectives franchise and aligns with Qatar’s broader push to position itself as a center for media investment and creative production. Additional speakers and detailed session information will be released in the final days before the event according to organisers.
