Window into Data-Driven Innovation in Qatar

Heather Leson

February 21, 2016

DDI-Mena.org Cairo, Egypt

Textontechs.com @heatherleson

qcri.org.qa

Kasra.co

DOHA, LAST 40 YEARS1987

1992

2001

2014

1972

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision. Data acquired via data.un.org

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Supporting Units

Startup Ecosystem

Qatar National Development Strategy

Doha has grown exponentially [...] but the capital lacks the benefits that

urban green spaces [...] sidewalks, bicycle lanes and tree-filled

areas closed to automobile traffic ... Urban conditions over time would become

more crowded, and more subject to noise and pollution. Bringing a green

dimension to urban planning could strengthen sustainability

and make cities more liveable. The risk of respiratory disease and the

strain of congested and sedentary living patterns would diminish for future generations. Health

problems such as the high rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes would

be lessened. The absence of green space is not inevitable.

Groundtruth Data Collection

Real-Time Traffic Monitoring

● QT2S: Collection and classification

of traffic related tweets

● Continuous Real-time querying of

Google Traffic API

● Qatar Traffic Profiling & Modeling

○ Geo: City, zone, district

○ Time: Hourly, daily, weekly,

and monthly

● Usage:

○ Detection of abnormal

behaviors

○ Predictions

○ Monthly Public reports

■ Commute status

■ Deadpoints

Human ComputingMachine Learning

Machine Learning + Human Computing

Citizen Engagement with Social Data

Teaching the next Data Innovators

Source: The Simplified Census

of Population, Housing

& Establishments, 2015

Qatar, Ministry of Development

Planning and

Statistics

Census

Data

can help

Startups

Data is everywhere, be curious

and create insights

Heather Leson

Textontechs.com

@heatherleson