Enterprise Florida plans to organise a business mission to Qatar to explore investment opportunities in the country, said CEO Peter Antonacci.
He said this after meeting HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani on the sidelines of the “Economic Tour” in the US.
During the meeting, they discussed the prospects of co-operation in many fields and highlighted the investment incentives provided by Qatar as well as the initiatives launched by the country to support the private sector and attract foreign investments.
Antonacci presented the investment opportunities in the State of Florida and ways to establish investment partnerships across different fields. He also expressed his desire to organise a visit by a delegation of businesspersons from Florida to Qatar to learn about the investment opportunities in the Gulf country, and also to promote products and services offered by companies in Florida.
Enterprise Florida Inc. (EFI) is a public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organisation for Florida.
EFI’s mission is to expand and diversify the state’s economy through job creation. In pursuit of its mission, EFI works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.
EFI’s activities have championed Florida as the premier location for business expansion and relocation, created a renewed interest both nationally and internationally in Florida as a top state for business, and resulted in a significant number of new jobs and capital investments.
Sheikh Ahmed also met with a number of US businesspersons. The meetings explored prospects of co-operation in various fields and highlighted the investment opportunities available in Qatar, especially in the field of non-hydrocarbon industries, in addition to opportunities for economic partnership between the private sector in the two countries.
Sheikh Ahmed said, “Over the past decade, Qatar has cemented its partnership with the US in the form of direct investments, joint ventures and trade deals. These investments have contributed to the creation of countless new opportunities for investors and businessmen from both countries.
“As many as 658 American companies are currently operating in Qatar, of which 117 are fully-owned US companies. The volume of US investments in Qatar amounted to QR26.3bn.”
Besides Miami, the high-level Qatari delegation is visiting US cities that have seen a surge in Qatari investments.
US-Qatari bilateral economic relations have grown significantly since the signing of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, or TIFA, back in 2004. Today, the US is considered a strong trading partner and is the primary source for Qatari imports. Page 16
HE Sheikh Ahmed making a presentation during the US Economic Tour in Miami.
