Augmented reality has moved far beyond filters and playful effects. At Web Summit Qatar, Snap Inc. is showing how AR has become a practical technology shaping digital transformation, creativity, and storytelling across the region.
Snap’s on-site experience invites visitors to explore how its AR technology has evolved over the past decade from mobile-based experiences powered by machine learning to wearable computing and generative AI. Rather than focusing on entertainment alone, the showcase demonstrates how AR can be applied in ways that enhance everyday life, from cultural storytelling to immersive shared experiences.
With a global ecosystem of creators, developers, and partners, Snap has built AR into a scalable platform that operates across Snapchat, Spectacles, AR mirrors, and owned digital environments. This ecosystem enables organizations to move beyond experimentation and deploy augmented reality in real-world settings, supporting communication, commerce, and live experiences.
“Web Summit Qatar is an opportunity to highlight how AR and AI are becoming part of everyday digital life,” said Hussein Freijeh, Vice President of Snapchat in MENA and APAC. “Our focus is on enabling practical, meaningful use cases helping creators, developers, and businesses build experiences that feel useful, culturally relevant, and human. Through technologies like Spectacles and generative AI, we’re exploring new ways to bring together creativity, heritage, and connection.”
The scale of AR adoption on Snapchat reflects this shift. More than 350 million people use augmented reality on the platform each day, with AR deeply embedded in daily usage across the region. This growth is supported by over 400,000 AR creators and developers worldwide who have built more than 4 million Lenses using Lens Studio, turning AR into an essential layer of digital interaction.
At Web Summit Qatar, Snap’s booth is designed as a walk-through experience inspired by culture, art, and heritage. Visitors move through three connected environments, each highlighting a different application of augmented reality. Together, the experiences offer a clear picture of how Snap’s combination of hardware, software, and creative tools is helping AR evolve into a practical driver of digital transformation.
