Asia Tech Wire (Mar 1) -- Qatar has signed a cooperation agreement with TikTok, a popular short video platform owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance Ltd.

Qatar's Government Communications Office (GCO) announced on Wednesday that the agency signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TikTok on the sidelines of Web Summit Qatar 2024 to expand Qatar's presence on the internationally renowned social media platform and fuel the growth of the country's local creator economy.

TikTok will set up the first creative studio in Qatar to support its business in the Middle Eastern country, as well as help develop the local creative ecosystem and talent development in Qatar, according to the MoU.

The GCO noted that the MoU is in line with the policy objectives of Qatar's Third National Development Strategy, which focuses on developing the country's digital infrastructure, nurturing innovation, and creating new opportunities for young entrepreneurs and creators to leverage digital platforms toward expanding economic diversification and achieving sustainable development.