Canadian firms eye investment opportunities in Qatar’s varied sectors, says business forum official

A delegation from the Canadian-Qatari Business Forum (CQBF) will be arriving in Qatar next week as part of initiatives to enhance Canada-Qatar economic relations and to forge stronger investment ties with the country’s public and private sectors.
In a statement to Gulf Times, CQBF executive director and board member Yasser M Dhouib said the delegation will be in the country from November 12 to 15 for the forum’s annual banquet and to attend meetings with major public-private sector players and stakeholders.
“For our visit to Doha, we have laid out a specific work programme to secure co-operation opportunities in Qatar’s major economic sectors and to establish a future strategic partnership between CQBF and the country’s key ministries,” Dhouib explained.
Similarly, Dhouib said CQBF is expected to sign memoranda of understanding and other partnership agreements with prominent organisations and private sector leaders in Qatar.
“We have some big projects in the pipeline from major Canadian companies that have expressed interest in investing in Qatar, each specialising in different fields, such as bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software development, education, cybersecurity, defence, and the role of AI in the health sector,” Dhouib pointed out.
Plans are also in the pipeline for the establishment of an investment fund for Canadian businesses specialising in areas like high technology, clean energy, gas, and real estate, he also said.
Dhouib said the delegation will include CQBF chairman Bruce Mabley, who was appointed recently. Mabley is a former Canadian diplomat having served in the Middle East. He is also the director of the Mackenzie-Papineau think-tank in Montreal, Canada, Dhouib noted.
Earlier, Dhouib told Gulf Times that the forum is seeking to play a key role in increasing the volume of Qatar’s investments in Canada’s wide range of sectors, adding that in the next two years, CQBF will be establishing strategic economic alliances between Canada and Qatar in the trade, business, and economic fields.
He said the medical sector and pharmaceutical industry, as well as infrastructure, entertainment cities, and the insurance and banking sectors, are also potential investment areas that both Canada and Qatar could explore further in the future.
Dhouib added: “CQBF sees itself as a facilitator in broadening prospects of co-operation and placing the interest of the Canadian business community closer to the different achievements of Qatar in many fields. Both two countries have important assets and thriving ideas and projects that certainly can provide expertise and knowledge to their region.
“Qatar and Canada both share the intimate conviction and belief in empowering women in business. The two countries’ business communities will certainly have many things to share from their different backgrounds and experiences. CQBF is ready to get these prospects fulfilled.”