The minister highlighted the most salient outcomes of the Cabinet meetings over the past period, noting that since the resumption of sessions on August 27, the Cabinet convened seven meetings addressing a wide array of agenda items.

He underscored that among the foremost pivotal decisions was the approval of a draft law concerning food safety, elaborating that this draft, meticulously prepared by the Ministry of Public Health in coordination with the Ministry of Municipality, seeks to ensure that food circulating across all stages, from production to sale, is safe, wholesome, and fit for human consumption.

The Cabinet also approved a draft law amending certain provisions of decree-law No. 24 of 2019, which regulates and manages the strategic stockpile of food and consumer goods, aiming to secure strategic commodities, enhance stockpile management efficiency, and reinforce food security.

Al Mohannadi added that, as part of stimulating entrepreneurial engagement in government tenders, the Cabinet endorsed the Ministry of Finance’s proposal to exempt small, medium, and micro enterprises from the purchase cost of government tender documents under QR5 million, in addition to waiving both temporary and final insurance requirements for micro enterprises.

Regarding the development of outstanding public institutions, he stated that the Cabinet endorsed the establishment of the fourth Industrial Revolution Center under the Ministry of Finance, as well as the National Artificial Intelligence Center within the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).

In relation to Wednesday’s session, the Cabinet reviewed the annual statistical report issued by the General Secretariat, detailing the outcomes of its work over the past year, he said.

Al Mohannadi highlighted that the Cabinet considered the General Secretariat’s presentation on the interactive electronic platform for legislative preparation procedures and approved the launch of the Smart Legislation Advisor Program, which leverages artificial intelligence tools to support the preparation, review, and analysis of legislation.

The programme aims to elevate the accuracy and quality of legislation while reducing the legislative review period to a pace seven times faster than the current standard, he outlined.

Al Mohannadi emphasised that these initiatives, advanced by the General Secretariat in collaboration with MCIT, are driven by the commitment to keeping pace with a well-calibrated digital transformation and harnessing cutting-edge technological applications to streamline legislative work.

Responding to a question regarding the Smart Legislation Advisor Programme and whether there is a plan to involve government entities, Al Mohannadi clarified that the role of the General Secretariat is to serve all government agencies in matters related to the Cabinet, particularly in the legislative domain.

He added that the preparation and review of legislation is a service provided by the General Secretariat to other government agencies, emphasising that any programme deployed within the Secretariat must eventually be generalized across all government agencies.

Al Mohannadi affirmed that the Legislative Advisor Programme will mark a qualitative leap in legislative work. However, he emphasized the need for an experimental environment within the General Secretariat for Legislative Management, especially given that artificial intelligence tools largely rely on machine learning.

He noted that the programme will be rolled out more broadly at a later stage, once it has been enriched with additional data from government entities.

In response to a question regarding the Cabinet’s approval of establishing a national center for artificial intelligence, he explained that the centre is a comprehensive initiative under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. He underscored that Qatar enjoys a robust infrastructure in telecommunications and digital transformation.

He stressed the importance of enhancing these services and their underlying infrastructure to harness the potential of artificial intelligence. The centre, he added, will serve as an incubator for AI-related research and projects, and will act as a central hub to support government entities in adopting AI technologies, identifying opportunities, and building a usable data foundation to ensure optimal and secure deployment of these technologies.

On how the Cabinet directs its policies in implementing national development programmes, he stated that the role of the General Secretariat is to ensure policy coherence across government sectors.

He pointed out that policy harmonisation occurs on three key levels: governance level, where the Cabinet coordinates directly with the National Planning Council to ensure sectoral policies align with the Third National Development Strategy; second, the financial level, in which coordination with the Ministry of Finance ensures that government financial resources are mobilized to serve strategic objectives, particularly in priority sectors.

Next is the operational level where the General Secretariat collaborates with the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau to support government entities in setting priorities and aligning their strategies with the Third National Development Strategy.

He also addressed the role of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution under the Ministry of Finance in advancing Qatar National Vision 2030.

He noted that the nation is currently in the final phase of this vision, guided by the 2024-2030 strategy, which targets a 90 percent rate of digital and electronic transformation.

He explained that the center was approved through an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the World Economic Forum, with its primary goal being to leverage Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, to enhance digital competitiveness and support a sustainable economy. The centre will work in partnership with the private sector to encourage national companies and government institutions to adopt cutting-edge technologies.

On strengthening public-private partnerships in national projects, he said this occurs on two main fronts: First is improving the business environment regarding the government procedures, and His Excellency referenced a recent forum organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with the Ministries of Justice and Labour, where private sector stakeholders shared their perspectives on enhancing the business climate.

Second is government procurement and localisation, as the Ministry of Finance hosted a forum focused on government procurement, which heavily relies on the private sector. Additionally, QatarEnergy is leading efforts to localize petroleum industries and promote domestic production, alongside infrastructure opportunities in areas such as waste recycling and construction.

In response to a question about the law on national workforce localisation in the private sector, the minister clarified that the law, which came into effect last April, applies to any entity classified as part of the private sector, including state-owned enterprises and public shareholding companies.

The Ministry of Labour is currently developing a phased implementation plan based on sector needs and readiness.

He emphasised that both the Cabinet and the Ministry of Labour view national talent as a valuable asset, and that the private sector shares this vision, recognising the national workforce as skilled, trained, and qualified contributors to the country’s growth and prosperity.

He stressed that the private sector is a key partner in this national endeavour and in the broader development process.

He also highlighted the launch of the Qatar Nationalisation Award, designed to honor companies and individuals who contribute meaningfully to this vital national initiative.

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