Katara - Cultural Village presented a lecture on economic diplomacy, delivered by Ashraf Abu Issa, chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Issa Holding, within the framework of the training plan launched by the Katara Public Diplomacy Centre this month.
The lecture was attended by engineer Darwish Ahmed al-Shaibani, secretary-general of the International Public Diplomacy Network and head of the Katara Public Diplomacy Centre; ambassador Ali bin Hassan al-Hammadi, secretary-general of the Qatar Red Crescent Society; diplomats, businessmen, academics, and media professionals.
Abu Issa, stressed during the lecture the importance of the practice of economic diplomacy by local companies and institutions by adopting a set of criteria, the most important of which providing full care and a safe and secure environment for workers that motivates them towards productivity, progress and development, taking into account the acceptance of differences and on the principle of non-discrimination.
He pointed out that the success of Qatari companies in economic diplomacy is achieved by embodying all nationalities regardless their cultures and noted that Abu Issa Holding Company currently has more than 60 different nationalities and has employed 93 different nationalities during the previous years.
"The success of Qatari companies abroad enhances bilateral international economic relations, and they are required to reflect the political, economic, and social stability enjoyed by Qatar, apart from a high degree of safety and transparency, and an economy open to the world."
Abu Issa stressed the importance of Qatari companies placing economic diplomacy at the top of their priorities by strengthening bilateral economic relations and attracting foreign investments.
He defined the concept of economic diplomacy as the mutual dependence between several international players, which positively affects their political co-operation and reduces differences within the group, as well as reducing the possibility of any of its members joining a third party from outside, reviewing economic diplomacy and the means of achieving economic dependence and economic integration.
Abu Issa also discussed regional economic diplomacy through his review of models that have emerged in the modern era, such as the Arab Common Market or the Unified Arab Market, the Gulf Co-operation Council, Opec, and the New Middle East.
In his address, al-Shaibani said: “The importance of economy in employing soft power in building ties of communication between different countries and creating a network of bilateral relations based on economic exchange, in turn contributes to strengthening and the consolidation of regional and international relations.
"This also contributes to attract increasing investments and provide more job opportunities for young people. Public diplomacy is not limited to one country without another, as companies in a small country can build trade exchange and economic cooperation with many international companies through information technology. Economic relations can be strengthened through international relations.
Al-Shaibani referred to the pivotal role played by Qatar Airways in the field of economic diplomacy by linking the countries of the world through Hamad International Airport and its advanced infrastructure and organising flights to transport millions of travellers around the world.
He recalled the efforts of Qatar's national carrier in transporting the thousands of travellers stranded outside their countries during the Covid-19 outbreak, which strengthened the image of Qatar globally in aviation and established Qatar Airways as a lifeline linking various continents.
Katara Public Diplomacy Centre launched, since the beginning of January, its training plan for Qatari public diplomacy, featuring a series of educational lectures and training courses in co-operation with ministries, official bodies and institutions, in addition to an awareness media campaign in cooperation with local satellite channels and social media, including: television interviews with a group of ministers, ambassadors, diplomats and academics.
