Qatar Airways is the Official Carrier of the 2012 TEDx Summit in Doha this week bringing together some of the Middle East’s most prolific thought leaders and speakers.

The week-long event, which starts tomorrow (April 16), takes place in the Qatari capital for the first time. It is being hosted by the Doha Film Institute.

Over 700 delegates will meet for workshops, collaborative projects, regional and cross-regional brainstorming, talks, special events and cultural activities during the event, which ends on April 20.

The opening night of the summit at the Katara amphitheatre in Doha will feature renowned speakers from the Arab world and beyond.

TEDx events are independently organised to inspire communities to discuss big ideas in a wide range of subjects – education, health, community, science, design, technology, entertainment to name a few. Over 3,500 TEDx events have taken place over the past three years in more than 1,000 cities across 125 countries.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the airline was proud to support such a prominent event in Doha.

“We are excited to be a part of bringing the TEDx platform to Doha for the first time, flying in some of the region’s most prolific thought leaders and speakers for a week of interactive discussion,” he said.