Doha: Ooredoo, Qatar’s leading provider of ICT and Official Middle East & Africa Telecommunications Operator of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, sent a C-suite delegation to California, USA recently to meet with technology and innovation partner Snap Inc., the renowned camera company behind Snapchat.

Ooredoo’s Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, and Chief Commercial Officer, Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Bin Nasser Al Thani, led the C-suite delegation on the visit, aimed at fostering close ties with Snapchat and exploring the exciting technologies that the ICT leader will be making use of at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Jeremi Gorman, Chief Business Officer, and Ben Schwerin, Senior Vice President Content and Partnerships, headed the representation at Snap Inc.  With the world waiting to see just what Qatar can do at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, a primary focus for the visit was exploration of the exciting technology Ooredoo will be using during the upcoming tournament.

Fans at the football extravaganza will experience three key new Augmented Reality experiences using Snapchat latest capabilities. 

An augmented reality billboard will bring the Ooredoo Tower mural to life and celebrate the World Cup coming to Qatar; A series of fan lenses, representing the 32 countries taking part to the competition and enabling fans to cheer for their favorite team with unique AR effects; and a Juggling Challenge the first-ever augmented reality keep-up game designed for fan zones and beyond.

All these augmented reality experiences will be made available via the Snapchat app to millions of football fans and will be powered by Ooredoo’s speedy and robust 5G network in Qatar.  

Turning the focus to the partnership, meetings between senior representatives of the two entities centered on how Snap will support Ooredoo’s digital transformation agenda in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, leveraging 5G and augmented reality innovation as key pillars to showcase the best in technology for Ooredoo’s customers.

Other areas of collaboration addressed included how to better use the partnership with Snapchat as part of Ooredoo’s digital marketing strategy, and how the two entities can support one another in growth markets to drive customer acquisition and engagement across Ooredoo’s international footprint.

The Ooredoo delegation also had the opportunity to visit Snap’s creator lab and experience the latest in augmented reality hardware products, including augmented reality glasses Spectacles and Pixy, the Snap’s flying camera.

Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, Chief Commercial Officer at Ooredoo – said: “We were delighted to conduct this visit with a partner that plays such a key role in our ongoing development and digitalisation journey. We have a strategic commitment to investing in technology and innovation, aligned with our support for Qatar National Vision 2030, and a phenomenal responsibility to football fans around the world as a major sponsor of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

“Our visit gave us an incredible insight into the vastly enhanced fan experience that we will provide during the event, and we’re hugely excited to share this with fans in the near future. 

“We extend our gratitude to all at Snap for their hospitality, and look forward to a long, mutually beneficial partnership for the years to come.”

Ben Schwerin, Senior Vice President of Content and Partnerships at Snap Inc. said: “We are grateful and excited for the partnership with Ooredoo. As a camera company dedicated to scaling augmented reality, the partnership offers a unique opportunity to innovate with new AR experiences that enhance the fan experience for Snapchatters, making the football celebration more immersive, fun and engaging for the millions of fans visiting Qatar.  

“We will continue to work closely with Ooredoo to delight their over 55 million customers across markets by bringing the very best that Snapchat can offer.”