iHeartMedia Teams Up with Qatar’s Government Communications Office to Announce iHeartPodcasts at Web Summit Qatar 2026

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01/29/2026 - 01:05 PM

iHeart brings leading talent including Questlove, Steven Bartlett, Arabic sensation Islam Fawzy and more to the Centre Stage

iHeartArabi to unveil first shows of its Arabic podcast slate and will feature an on-site iHeartPodcasts Studio for top podcast talent to record episodes live from the floor in English and Arabic

DOHA, Qatar & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally, and the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar (GCO) announced that iHeartPodcasts will be the official podcast partner for the 2026 Web Summit Qatar.

The third edition of Web Summit Qatar is set to gather more than 30,000 technology and business leaders, founders, world-leading investors, media and more than 1,600 startups at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) from February 1-4, 2026.

Top iHeartPodcasts talent, show producers and executives will be in attendance to participate in a range of events including educational sessions, live podcast recordings and Centre Stage content like fireside chats, panel discussions and Q&A sessions.

This year’s Centre Stage sessions will welcome Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group along with other leading podcast talent including Questlove, host of “The Questlove Show”; Steven Bartlett, host of the world’s second-largest host-led podcast “The Diary of a CEO”; Arabic sensation Islam Fawzy and more. The event will also serve as the official launch of iHeartArabi, iHeartPodcasts Arabic show slate.

“Welcoming iHeartMedia and its globally recognized podcast talent to Web Summit Qatar 2026 reflects our broader ambition to strengthen our creative economy and to support the growth of creative and digital industries as engines of sustainable development,” said Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the GCO. “This partnership creates opportunities for knowledge exchange and new forms of digital expression that empower local talent and creators to strengthen Qatar’s position as a hub for global media, content creation and innovation.”

“At iHeart we believe in fostering conversations that lead to creative and innovative ideas and solutions, and our partnership with the GCO continues to expand the boundaries of podcasting,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. “Our goal is to work together to generate the kind of discussions and interactions that enhance and grow the future of this medium for audiences everywhere.”

This year’s Web Summit Qatar will also feature an on-site iHeartPodcasts Recording Studio and attendee lounge for top podcast talent to record episodes live from the floor in English and Arabic. For the full lineup and schedule including session dates and times, please visit https://qatar.websummit.com/schedule/.

About Web Summit
Web Summit runs the world’s largest and most impactful technology events, bringing together the people and ideas that change the world. It aims to meaningfully connect the next decade’s most influential people across every area of technology - and throughout the inter-related worlds of politics, finance, media, entertainment, culture, sport and society. Its parallel mission is to create software that enables meaningful connections between these people and their communities.

Described by The Atlantic as “where the future goes to be born,” Web Summit was founded in Dublin in 2009 by Paddy Cosgrave. Since then it has welcomed more than a million attendees across its global gatherings - which this year will include Web Summit Qatar, Web Summit Rio, Web Summit Vancouver and Web Summit Lisbon. This year’s Web Summit Qatar will be the biggest yet, with record numbers of startups, partners and media due to attend. Web Summit remains privately owned and self-funded and this year announced it had achieved the key startup milestone of $100m in revenue.

About the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar
The Government Communications Office (GCO) was established by Amiri Decree No. (27) of 2015 to serve as the strategic communications arm of the State of Qatar. It coordinates communications activities across government and public-sector institutions, showcasing the country’s vision, initiatives and achievements. The GCO is dedicated to promoting good governance and sustainability practices, improving government communication mechanisms and facilitating the development of credible government channels, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

For more information, please visit: www.gco.gov.qa/en

About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.