Qatar Chamber hosted a meeting with members of the Canadian Qatari Business Forum (CQBF), which focused on fostering cooperation and exploring ways to enhance relations across all economic, commercial and investment aspects in Qatar and Canada.
The meeting was chaired by Qatar Chamber First Vice-Chairman HE Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari and CQBF Vice-Chairman Joe Armestrong. Also in attendance were Qatar Chamber board member Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani and CQBF CEO Yasser Dhouib.
Boosting collaboration
HE Mohamed bin Twar praised the close relations between Qatar and Canada in all fields, putting emphasis on the significance of boosting collaboration within the business sector and the potential impact on the growth of the countries’ trade volume.
Trade between Qatar and Canada witnessed a 16% growth, increasing from QAR620 million in 2021 to QAR720 million. This positions Canada as one of the most important trade partners for Qatar.
Twar also underscored the Qatar Chamber’s commitment to supporting cooperation and partnerships between the private sectors of both countries. He encouraged Qatari businessmen to explore investment opportunities in Canada, and in the same breadth, extended an invitation to Canadian companies to invest in Qatar, further highlighting the country’s attractive investment environment, well-developed infrastructure and the incentives offered by the government for foreign investors.
In turn, CQBF Vice-Chairman Joe Armestrong announced that the forum will participate in the Web Summit in Qatar in February 2024. He said that Canadian firms specialising in AI and IoT will join the event, to forge new partnerships with Qatari investors.
Armestrong highlighted Canada, particularly Montreal, as one of the premier destinations attracting major Canadian and international companies in IT and AI, thanks to its attractive investment incentives.
According to Qatar Chamber board member Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani, Qatari businessmen are keen to foster the development of the SME sector, recognised as a key driver for economic development worldwide.
She emphasized that the sector creates new avenues for cooperation between Qatari and Canadian companies, encouraging the establishment of partnerships and alliances within the SME domain.
CQBF CEO Yasser Dhouib said that their visit to Qatar aligns with both sides’ mutual desire to enhance economic relations and identify investment opportunities across various sectors.
He highlighted the Canadian side’s interest in learning from Qatar’s experience in providing attractive tools and incentives for capital and enterprises in the Middle East and the Gulf.
Check out Marhaba’s FREE e-Guides for everything you need to know about Qatar.
