Backed by public and private sector support, Qatar’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) ecosystem has experienced steady growth in the past years, especially in the technology sector, according to a Qatari entrepreneur.
Asked about digitisation and use of technology among startups and SMEs in Qatar, hapondo co-founder Abdulla al-Fadhala lauded the government for providing entrepreneurs with incubation facilities, such as the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) Incubation Center.
hapondo, which is set to formally launch next month, is “Qatar’s first property rental platform” established in the country last year by al-Fadhala and co-founders Haajerah Khan, Abdulaziz al-Yazeedi, and Ahmad al-Khanji.
“hapondo was born with the goal of becoming the leader in the property rental marketplace in the MENA region - focused on delivering the best user experience possible.
“For now, we are focused on becoming Qatar’s leading property rental platform dedicated to providing our users with all the information and content needed to find the new house, apartment, or condo (hapondo) that they will call home,” stated hapondo’s website.
Headquartered inside the technology park, al-Fadhala told Gulf Times: “Being part of QSTP and getting incubated means we are in the path of accelerating hapondo’s establishment through incorporation, collaborative co-working space, business facilitation, and support services.”
“hapondo will now have access to prototyping facilities, QSTP funding programmes, and mentors network – QSTP’s tenant network of high-tech companies, such as
Microsoft and Vodafone Qatar,” he continued.
Al-Fadhala also lauded Qatar’s ICT infrastructure, which is among the top rated in the world, and regarded as having very high mobile use and Internet penetration in the region.
“As a tech company that is focused on the real estate industry, Internet speed is very important for us. Having a great infrastructure that includes high mobile speeds mean that we are not worried about having the best content (images) with the highest quality resolutions.
“This is a win-win situation for all: for tech startups like hapondo, for our users who are looking for the next property they will live in, and for our brokers and developers who will have the choice to take and upload the best pictures possible,” al-Fadhala pointed out.
He added: “Not only that but looking at the near future, this means we can offer more services for our users and real estate brokers. We can roll out 3D viewings and videos too. It would be amazing if people can walk through a property and view all its features online and from the comfort of your home.”

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