The Ambassador of the Republic of Portugal to the State of Qatar HE Paulo Neves Pocinho recently received members of the local Portuguese group Gente da Nossa Terra and the current officers of the Portuguese Business Council.
The new Portuguese Ambassador started the role in the last quarter of 2022, before the FIFA World Cup.
According to Ambassador Paulo Neves Pocinho, he is very proud as a Portuguese citizen and as an ambassador, to have the opportunity to witness the dynamism, youth and energy that the community gave to support Portugal’s national team during the FIFA World Cup. He said that the leadership and organisational skills demonstrated at that moment were certainly the germ of what began to be born next.
This sparked a desire to get to know the Portuguese Community in Qatar. The role of Portuguese fans of Qatar during the World Cup, as well the new initiative Gente da nossa Terra and the Portuguese Business Council in helping each other to organise and promote initiatives together, has a tremendous potential.
Gente da Nossa Terra
The community initiative Gente da Nossa Terra, which translates to People of our Land derives from the commitment and dedication of its leader Elisabete Reis. Through the group, fans of the Portuguese team were able to move at a fast pace and connect all fans of different nationalities to set the ball rolling on different fronts.
This dynamic, which was taken during the tournament, was used to strengthen the Portuguese community in Qatar, being the engine to launch the working group for the implementation of Gente da Sua Terra, which began to take shape shortly after the World Cup, initiated by a group of Portuguese citizens in Qatar who decided to cement their sense of community.
Several projects have also been set in place, in the most diverse perspectives, culturally and socially.
According to Ana Teixeira of Gente da Nossa Terra, there are many ideas that they would like to put into practice. Step by step, she said they will try to boost initiatives in favour of community interaction. These include festive dates, workshops, cultural activities, and more.
Portuguese Business Council
The Portuguese Business Council (PBC) was established in Qatar on 20 June 2016 and is an organisation that aims to raise bilateral relations between Portugal and Qatar, mainly in the economic and cultural fields offering support and help to agents from both countries.
The current management members – Chairman Francisco Miguel De Sousa, VP Enterprise Relations Carlos Xavier, Treasurer Fernando Antunes and VP Institutional Relations Manuel Ramalho were officially introduced to the community during the visit.
In a statement, the officers of PBC said they believe in the importance of increasing the share of Portuguese products and services in the local market and the promotion of the activities of these companies.
The council provides an informal networking platform through which companies can develop their businesses, in addition to promoting participation in various local and international trade fairs and forums organised in Qatar. All Portuguese or foreign companies, including citizens and residents of Qatar, can be part of this institution.
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