Officials of Qatar Chamber and the Canadian-Qatari Business Forum (CQBF) held a meeting Tuesday in Doha to foster cooperation relations, the chamber announced in a statement.
Qatar Chamber first vice-chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari held discussions with CQBF vice-chairman Joe Armstrong in the presence of Qatar Chamber board member Ibtihaj al-Ahmadani and CQBF executive director Yasser Dhouib.
The meeting also focused on exploring ways to enhance mutual collaboration between both organisations across all economic, commercial, and investment aspects in both Qatar and Canada.
Al-Kuwari lauded the close relations between Qatar and Canada in all fields, emphasising the significance of boosting collaboration within the business sector, as well as its potential impact on the growth of Qatar-Canada trade volume.
He noted that trade between Qatar and Canada witnessed a 16% growth from QR620mn in 2021 to QR720mn last year, positioning Canada as “one of the most important trade partners for Qatar.”
He emphasised the chamber’s commitment to supporting cooperation and partnerships between the private sectors of both countries and encouraged Qatari businessmen to explore investment opportunities in Canada.
Al-Kuwari also extended an invitation to Canadian companies to invest in Qatar, highlighting the country’s attractive investment environment, well-developed infrastructure, and the incentives offered by the government for foreign investors.
In turn, Armstrong announced that CQBF will be participating in the Qatar Web Summit slated in February 2024. Canadian firms specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be joining the event to forge new partnerships with Qatari investors.
Armstrong highlighted that Canada, particularly Montreal, is one of the premier destinations attracting major Canadian and international companies in the fields of IT and AI, thanks to its attractive investment incentives.
Also speaking at the meeting, al-Ahmadani noted that Qatari businessmen are keen to foster the development of the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, recognising them as a key driver for economic development worldwide.
She emphasised that the SME sector creates new avenues for cooperation between Qatari and Canadian companies and in encouraging the establishment of partnerships and alliances within the SME domain.
According to Dhouib, the CWBF’s visit to Qatar aligns with both sides' mutual desire to enhance economic relations and identify investment opportunities across various sectors, underscoring 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 region.
Officials of Qatar Chamber and the Canadian-Qatari Business Forum during a meeting at the chamber's Doha headquarters Tuesday.
