What Doha Debates does

Doha Debates is a media and dialogue organization that operates as an initiative of Qatar Foundation, the Qatari quasi-governmental research and development entity. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Doha, Qatar with a satellite presence referenced in Washington, the organization produces a portfolio of podcasts, town halls, short films, and educational resources aimed at fostering constructive dialogue across political, cultural, and religious divides. Its core products include the flagship Doha Debates Podcast, The Negotiators (co-produced with Foreign Policy magazine), The Long Game, the Arabic-language Lana, and Necessary Tomorrows, distributed freely across YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, and all major social platforms.

The organization serves global audiences including youth and emerging leaders aged 18-26 (via its Ambassador Program with 400+ participants from 80+ nations), educators (via Deep Dive resources drawing on the Majlis tradition of Arab communal reasoning), and the general public seeking cross-cultural perspectives. Town halls have been held in the UK, Argentina, Chile, and Qatar. Doha Debates has no commercial revenue model: all content is provided free of charge and operations are funded entirely through Qatar Foundation's institutional support. There are no pricing tiers, subscription fees, or disclosed external investors.

The underlying technology consists of a digital content platform and standard multimedia production capabilities, with no proprietary AI features, APIs, or patents identified. Distribution leverage comes from organic social reach (nearly 7 million followers across platforms) and podcast syndication rather than technology differentiation. Recent momentum includes 13.8 million video views in 2025, two industry awards (Folio Award for Historical Reporting, Shorty Award for News & Politics Podcast) for The Negotiators Season 4, and a successful first Latin America town hall in Buenos Aires. Leadership comprises founder Tim Sebastian and chief of staff Sara Ashworth, with a team of 11-50 employees.

Name

Doha Debates

Legal name

Doha Debates

Website

https://dohadebates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Doha Debates is a Qatar Foundation initiative that produces podcasts, town halls, short films, and educational resources on global issues. It serves global audiences free of charge through a youth ambassador program spanning 80+ countries and multi-platform content distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media and Dialogue Content

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Debate (Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Parliamentary, Public Forum) (EDAMAGAA)

Keywords

• Podcast production
• Global dialogue platform
• Civic engagement media
• Educational multimedia content
• Youth leadership program

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Qatar Foundation Funding: Doha Debates is an initiative of Qatar Foundation and operates as a non-profit dialogue organization. The organization produces free educational content including podcasts, videos, articles, and town hall events, funded through Qatar Foundation's institutional support rather than commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Doha Debates is a media production initiative of Qatar Foundation that produces original podcasts (including The Doha Debates Podcast, The Negotiators, The Long Game, Lana, and Necessary Tomorrows), hosts international town halls, produces short documentary films, and operates a global Ambassador Program for emerging leaders aged 18-26. All content is offered free of charge and focuses on cross-cultural dialogue, civil discourse, and engagement with pressing global issues.

Product overview

Doha Debates is an initiative of Qatar Foundation focused on global dialogue and youth engagement. The organization operates a multi-platform content portfolio centered on facilitating conversations across divides. Core products include the Doha Debates Podcast (main podcast series), The Negotiators (conflict resolution podcast with Foreign Policy), Town Halls (youth-driven forums), The Long Game (sports and social change), Lana (Arabic-language podcast), and Necessary Tomorrows (speculative fiction documentary). Supporting programs include the Ambassador Program for emerging leaders aged 18-26, Deep Dive educational resources for educators, and the Doha Portal resource platform. The organization also produces documentary films like (Un)divided and creates content across multiple media types including podcasts, videos, and articles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Negotiators: A podcast series bringing stories from people resolving some of the world's most dramatic conflicts. Currently in its fifth season.
• The Doha Debates Podcast
• The Long Game
• Lana
• Necessary Tomorrows
• Town Halls
• Deep Dive
• Ambassador Program

Products and services

• Doha Debates Podcast

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.8 million video views achieved in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foreign PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-production partnership with Foreign Policy magazine for The Negotiators podcast series, bringing together diplomatic reporting and dialogue facilitation on international conflict resolution.
• UN Second World Summit for Social DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Qatar Foundation (including Doha Debates) hosted sessions at the UN Second World Summit for Social Development 2025 in Doha, focusing on social progress, inclusive policymaking, and sustainable development.
• Dryland Ecosystems PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Qatar Foundation announced a new partnership at the UN Summit to address vulnerabilities in dryland ecosystems, involving Doha Debates' dialogue facilitation on environmental issues.
• Qatar FoundationcoreOthersDoha Debates is an initiative of Qatar Foundation, Qatar's national research and development organization. Qatar Foundation provides institutional support and funding for all operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs): Chatham House convenes expert debates and publishes analysis on international affairs, with a podcast and event portfolio aimed at policy and thought-leadership audiences. It is comparable as a non-commercial dialogue institution producing substantive debate content.
• TED (TED Talks / TED Audio Collective): TED convenes live idea-based events and distributes talks as podcasts and videos across global platforms, closely paralleling Doha Debates' town-hall plus podcast model aimed at mass audiences interested in ideas and global issues.
• Intelligence Squared: Intelligence Squared runs structured Oxford-style debate events and produces debate podcasts on contested global issues, mirroring Doha Debates' format of moderated debate between opposing experts and producing audio/video content for global distribution.
• The Aspen Institute: Aspen runs the Aspen Ideas Festival and dialogue-based programming on policy, society, and global affairs, producing podcasts and convening leaders. It is comparable as a non-profit dialogue organization targeting civically engaged global audiences.

Emerging players

• The Moth: The Moth produces live storytelling events and a flagship podcast built around personal narrative, sharing a live-event-plus-podcast distribution model with Doha Debates while occupying a different content niche.
• Wikitongues: Wikitongues is a non-profit producing multilingual video and podcast content preserving languages and fostering cross-cultural dialogue. It is comparable as a mission-driven multilingual media organization with global youth ambassador engagement.
• Council on Foreign Relations: CFR convenes expert dialogue on international affairs and produces podcasts and event programming aimed at policy-engaged audiences, overlapping with Doha Debates' civics-and-policy focus at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Al Jazeera English: Al Jazeera is a Qatar-headquartered international news outlet with extensive English-language podcasts, documentaries, and dialogue programming. It is comparable as a Qatar-anchored global media brand targeting cross-cultural audiences.
• The Economist (podcast portfolio): The Economist produces award-winning podcasts on international affairs, governance, and culture with a global subscriber base, providing a comparable premium podcast model aimed at civically engaged adult audiences.
• BBC World Service / BBC HardTalk: BBC World Service produces international affairs podcasts and HardTalk conducts high-profile interview-debate programming with global newsmakers. It overlaps with Doha Debates' editorial focus on dialogue with policymakers and global figures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dohadebates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/dohadebates
• Facebookfacebook.com/DohaDebates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doha-debates-2020
• Instagraminstagram.com/dohadebates
• TikToktiktok.com/@dohadebates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Doha Debates