Web Summit Qatar’s main stage was the setting for the formal signing of a multi-year partnership between iHeartMedia and the Qatari government to create a regional podcast hub in the Middle East and North Africa. As part of the alliance first announced in January, iHeart will develop a state-of-the-art podcast studio in Qatar. The company will also produce a lineup of original shows and work to translate some of its popular podcasts for Arabic-listening audiences.
“Podcasting has exploded in the U.S. and is now a mass-reach medium. And iHeartMedia, with our expansive network as the No. 1 podcaster in America, is in a unique position to grow strong listenership around the globe,” CEO Bob Pittman says in a statement. “iHeartPodcasts features a massive catalog of original shows spanning every category and this new partnership creates an opportunity to work with a long roster of incredible creators and distribute even more content to new audiences in the Middle East.”
Under the partnership, iHeart will also create series of specialized masterclasses to help develop local talent and host global industry events for creators in the Middle East and North Africa, including additional Web Summit gatherings. Taken together, iHeart and Qatar’s Government Communications Office hope to spark a wave of creative storytelling across the region.
Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, GCO Director and Chairman of the Web Summit Permanent Organizing Committee, says the joint effort will help to position Qatar as a meeting point for the world’s top podcasting voices.
“This collaboration marks a significant step towards the development of the podcasting industry in the region and reinforcing Qatar’s position as a leading hub for digital content creation,” he says. “I am confident this platform will serve as a catalyst for creativity, inspire new storytelling formats [to] build a sustainable podcasting ecosystem and create opportunities for a new generation of content creators in the Arab world.”
The partnership was announced live during Web Summit Qatar’s main stage by Conal Byrne, Chief Executive Officer of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. The event also featured some of iHeart’s top talents including Malcolm Gladwell, co-founder of Pushkin Industries and host of Revisionist History; author Jay Shetty, host of the On Purpose podcast; neuroscientist David Eagleman, host of the Inner Cosmos podcast; and Jonathan Strickland, Executive Producer for iHeartPodcasts and host of the TechStuff podcast.
The announcement follows the partnership agreement between iHeartMedia and the GCO earlier this year, which established iHeartMedia as the Official Podcast Partner for Web Summit Qatar 2025.