24th Katara Tech Forum: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Innovation, inclusion and quality of life

Under the patronage of Katara Cultural Village Foundation

Katara Cultural Village Foundation presented the 24th Katara Tech Forum on autism spectrum disorder in cooperation with IBC on 30 June and 1 July 2025, with council chairman Dr.

Activity type
Event · Forum
Date
Past event
Venue
Building 15 Hall, Katara Cultural Village · Doha, Qatar
Council role
The council cooperated in holding the forum, and its chairman served as general coordinator.
Attendance
Specialists, experts, decision-makers and pioneering initiative leaders
The Katara Tech 24 stage carrying the council name
The Katara Tech 24 stage carrying the council name

Eng. Mohsen bin Ali Al-Ajji serving as general coordinator.

Over two days, the forum brought together specialists, experts, decision-makers and initiative leaders around innovation, inclusion and quality of life for people with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Katara Cultural Village Foundation held the forum in Building 15 Hall in cooperation with IBC, with council chairman Dr. Eng. Mohsen bin Ali Al-Ajji serving as general coordinator, while Thamer Al Qadi, Katara’s director of information systems, chaired the forum.

Official attendees included Her Excellency Sheikha Shaikha bint Jassim Al Thani, Assistant Undersecretary for Family Affairs at the Ministry of Social Development and Family, and Dr Khamis Al-Ajmi, honorary president of the Arab Federation of Private Schools. Ms Boukhari Khaira, general director of the Espace Autisme Foundation, chaired the forum’s programme, alongside Dr Tariq Al-Issawi, the foundation’s general director, who spoke.

Day one covered psychodrama and drama therapy, mechanisms for adaptation and inclusion, the value of educational farms, imaginative and technology-supported play, and traditional and digital media on autism. Day two addressed modern approaches to quality care, sports-training strategies, best practice for inclusion in mainstream schools, and daily preparation and empowerment through sport for children with autism.

Qatar News Agency, Al-Sharq and Gulf Times covered the council’s participation, and Al-Sharq named the council’s chairman as the forum’s general coordinator. The council signed two agreements with Dar Al-Bidaa linked to the forum.

4 media reports

Media coverage

What the media published about this event.

Topic and programme

  • Adaptation and community inclusion
  • Inclusive educational practice
  • Play and assistive technologies
  • Sport and psychological preparation
  • Media and responsible awareness
TimeSession
30/06 · 10:⁦00–11⁩:00Opening session
30/06 · 11:⁦00–11⁩:30Psychodrama and drama therapy
30/06 · 11:⁦30–12⁩:00Supporting adaptation and effective inclusion
30/06 · 12:⁦30–13⁩:30Educational farms and quality of life
30/06 · 13:⁦30–14⁩:30Imaginative and technology-supported play
30/06 · 14:⁦30–15⁩:30Traditional and digital media and autism
01/07 · 10:⁦00–10⁩:30Modern approaches to quality care
01/07 · 10:⁦30–11⁩:30Sports training strategies
01/07 · 12:⁦00–13⁩:00Inclusion in mainstream schools
01/07 · 13:⁦00–13⁩:30Daily preparation and empowerment through sport
01/07 · 13:30Forum closing
  1. Time
    30/06 · 10:⁦00–11⁩:00
    Session
    Opening session
  2. Time
    30/06 · 11:⁦00–11⁩:30
    Session
    Psychodrama and drama therapy
  3. Time
    30/06 · 11:⁦30–12⁩:00
    Session
    Supporting adaptation and effective inclusion
  4. Time
    30/06 · 12:⁦30–13⁩:30
    Session
    Educational farms and quality of life
  5. Time
    30/06 · 13:⁦30–14⁩:30
    Session
    Imaginative and technology-supported play
  6. Time
    30/06 · 14:⁦30–15⁩:30
    Session
    Traditional and digital media and autism
  7. Time
    01/07 · 10:⁦00–10⁩:30
    Session
    Modern approaches to quality care
  8. Time
    01/07 · 10:⁦30–11⁩:30
    Session
    Sports training strategies
  9. Time
    01/07 · 12:⁦00–13⁩:00
    Session
    Inclusion in mainstream schools
  10. Time
    01/07 · 13:⁦00–13⁩:30
    Session
    Daily preparation and empowerment through sport
  11. Time
    01/07 · 13:30
    Session
    Forum closing

Participants and their capacities

Speakers

  • Sheikha Shaikha bint Jassim Al ThaniAssistant Undersecretary for Family Affairs · Ministry of Social Development and Family
  • Thamer Al QadiDirector of Information Systems, Katara; forum chair · Katara
  • Khamis bin Obaid Al-AjmiHonorary President, Arab Federation of Private Schools · Arab Federation of Private Schools
  • Boukhari KhairaForum chair; General Director, Espace Autisme Foundation · Espace Autisme
  • Dr Tariq Al-IssawiGeneral Director, Espace Autisme Foundation · Espace Autisme
  • Dr Dala Megari BaouchPsychodrama and drama therapy
  • Prof Suhail Hamed Al-MarwhounSports training strategies
  • Prof Zina DalouMedia and autism
  • Dr Walid Hindi
  • Yasmine MohamedSpecialist
  • Dr Ahlam Belkacem Mansour

Participating organisations

  • Katara Cultural Village FoundationHost
  • Espace Autisme FoundationKnowledge partner
  • Dar Al BidaaKnowledge partner

Quotations

  • «Dr Mohsin Ali Al-Ajmi, chairman of the International Business Council, general coordinator of the forum.»

    Al-Sharq newspaper, 30 June 2025

Highlights

  • A two-day programme at Katara’s Building 15 Hall
  • Specialist discussions spanning education, technology and community
  • Coverage by Qatar News Agency and Qatari newspapers

Key documented outcomes

  • Presentation of the "I Need" app and the "Nassam" smart watch for children with autism
  • Two agreements signed with Dar Al-Bidaa

Materials and photographs