Celebrating five Gold Awards for Qatar Foundation’s AI-powered digital assistant — and a technology journey Applab is proud to be part of.

Qatar Foundation’s AI-powered digital assistant, BOTaina, has earned five Gold Awards at the 2026 MENA Stevie® Awards, standing out among more than 1,400 nominations from across the region.

For Applab, this recognition carries special meaning.

As a technology partner supporting BOTaina’s implementation and evolution, Applab has been part of the journey of transforming BOTaina from a conversational chatbot into an increasingly intelligent, accessible and engaging AI experience. Qatar Foundation team members have publicly recognized Applab’s contribution as a partner in BOTaina’s implementation and continued development.

Supporting the evolution of a smarter digital experience

BOTaina was introduced by Qatar Foundation to give users instant access to information and help them discover the opportunities, initiatives, events and experiences available across QF and Education City.

Designed as a young Qatari woman, BOTaina communicates in both Arabic and English and provides users with a more personalized, conversational way to explore Qatar Foundation’s digital ecosystem.

As the technology evolved, so did BOTaina.

Its capabilities expanded through Microsoft Azure technologies, including conversational AI and later Azure OpenAI integration, enabling more contextually relevant interactions, automatic language detection, translation and enhanced content understanding. Applab was publicly recognized as one of the partners collaborating on this stage of BOTaina’s journey.

Technology with language and culture at its core

BOTaina’s evolution has also focused on creating a digital experience that feels closer to the people using it.

With Arabic and English capabilities and the introduction of voice interaction, the assistant has continued to evolve toward a more natural and accessible experience — one that reflects Qatar Foundation’s focus on language, culture and its community.

And this evolution continues.

Qatar Foundation has said BOTaina is expected to expand beyond providing information, with future capabilities designed to help users access services, complete registrations and carry out tasks across QF’s digital platforms.

Five Gold Awards. One evolving AI journey.

BOTaina’s latest milestone is significant: five Gold Awards at the 2026 MENA Stevie Awards, recognizing achievements spanning AI innovation, strategy and implementation, technology development, and AI and machine-learning innovation.

For Applab, it is also a moment to celebrate the people behind the technology.

We are proud of the Applab team whose expertise, collaboration and commitment have contributed to BOTaina’s implementation and evolution, and proud to work alongside Qatar Foundation and Microsoft on a digital experience that continues to grow.

Congratulations to Qatar Foundation and every team and partner behind BOTaina’s journey.

Proud to be part of the technology behind the journey.

Applab. Design. Build. Run.

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