The staging of the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), Powered by Bloomberg, as well as similar other international events, add value to the country’s economic development, an official of Qatar Chamber has said.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the forum, Qatar Chamber board member Mohamed bin Ahmed al-Obaidli emphasised that the recently-held QEF, which was on its third edition, gathered a large number of participants, including high-level speakers and global leaders.
“This is what Qatar needs to expand further and develop its economy,” al-Obaidli stressed, adding that hosting events like QEF 2023 opens up more opportunities for Qatar to network and exchange best practices for doing business with key players in the global economy.
Al-Obaidli also underscored the importance of collaborating and bringing “the right partners” to the country, which will play a key role in Qatar’s efforts to develop and promote public-private partnerships (PPPs).
“Bloomberg is such an ideal partner to host events like Qatar Economic Forum because, during these events, decision-makers in government and the private sector will learn from each other through discussions on the latest trends and solutions, thus creating opportunities for PPPs,” al-Obaidli explained.
According to al-Obaidli, hosting QEF 2023 and other global conferences and events is also an opportunity for Qatar to showcase its economic development, world-class infrastructure, and incentives for foreign investors.
“We should capitalise on the success of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar was able to deliver ‘the best World Cup ever’ and many visitors during the tournament can attest to this milestone. Many tourists were impressed not only with the stadiums, facilities, and the country’s infrastructure, but most importantly, with Qatar’s people and culture.
“By continuing to host large-scale events like the World Cup and QEF 2023, this will also help add value to other sectors in the country, such as tourism and hospitality, as well as other industries. Hosting events will attract more international companies into the country,” al-Obaidli explained.
He noted that Qatar Chamber has proposed the staging of a wide range of events to promote international networking between the public and private sectors, including conferences and forums on food security, cybersecurity, entertainment, air shows, and governance, among others.
“Hosting different large-scale events will provide direct and indirect returns to the country,” al-Obaili added.
QEF 2023 was held from May 23-25 at the Katara Towers in the Lusail Marina District. The forum highlighted and discussed some of the major economic issues facing international CEOs, heads of state, and money markets.