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The value of Turkish exports to Qatar is expected to return to $1.2bn levels this year as the international community tries to recover from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a Turkish consultancy firm. Citing figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute, Shedu Consulting managing partner Deniz Kutlu told Gulf Times Wednesday that Turkey’s exports to Qatar “were at a historic high in 2019.” However, Turkey recorded a decrease in trade figures between both countries compared to 2020 as a consequence of the impact of Covid-19 on global economies. “We can clearly see the impact of Covid-19 in 2020 when Turkey’s exports dropped below the $1bn threshold. In 2021, Turkey’s exports to Qatar jumped back to the $1bn levels, and in 2022, we estimate to have annual exports to be around the $1.2bn levels again,” Kutlu explained. Like many other countries, Kutlu emphasised that Turkey tried its best to adapt to new pandemic-related policies on international trade, including travel restrictions and other measures. “But 2021 turned out to be a better year compared to 2020 when Covid-19 suddenly hit national economies. Hopefully, 2022 will be a much better year for Turkey, Qatar, and the rest of the global markets,” he noted. According to Kutlu, while Shedu Consulting is expecting an increase in bilateral trade between Turkey and Qatar this year, “the magnitude of this increase” is closely tied to the spread of Covid-19 and the travel restrictions imposed by relevant authorities in both countries. “Currently, some of the measures like quarantine upon arrival act as a kind of non-tariff barrier restricting the true potential of bilateral trade. On the other hand, countries with relatively flexible travel policies enjoy an increase in trade and tourism income at the expense of countries with relatively stricter travel policies,” he further explained. Kutlu pointed out that natural gas remains as Qatar’s top export product to Turkey. He said natural gas and mineral fuels accounted for more than 60% of Qatar’s total exports worth $450mn in 2021. ‘Aluminium and aluminium articles’, on the other hand, is the second major export item, which accounted for nearly 20% of Qatar’s total exports to Turkey, said Kutlu, citing data from the International Trade Centre (ITC). “Apart from trade in goods, Qatar has been a major exporter of foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Turkey. Qatar’s investments in Turkey are quite diversified and include industries like real estate, services, manufacturing, and finance. So, many business people do not consider Qatar as a trade partner only but also as a possible joint venture partner,” Kutlu added.

Similar to the establishment of the Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH), setting up investment and tech hubs would be essential to the growth of Qatar’s startup ecosystem, according to an industry expert. Dr Tejinder Singh, the chapter director of Startup Grind Doha, underscored the need to set up more tech companies in Qatar to serve sectors in the country. “We need to lay our focus on tech; I think that is what we’re missing right now. We’re missing out on two things: creating vertical specific parks. These two are essential pillars of any startup ecosystem unless you want to build an ecosystem that is non-tech, which is out-of-date right now,” Singh told Gulf Times yesterday. He said, “Startups are predominantly based on tech. What you need is angel funding or seed funding, so you need to set up investment and tech hubs; in that way, more tech players would come, thus enhancing the ecosystem. We still need to see more people focusing on blockchain and other advanced technologies. As of now, we don’t have that, so you need to bring these capabilities in place. “Among tech startups, fintech is the most promising sector, but we also have to see startups in sectors, such as public identity and in government and semi-government services. There are a lot of startup areas where tech would enable them, but still, we’re far away from that as of now,” said Singh, who is also the founder and chairman of 360 Nautica. On his forecast for tech startups this year, as well as for Qatar's startup sector in 2022, Singh said: “We should also come up with a tech park or a media park in Qatar. Unless we have those types of dedicated incubation hubs, we would not be able to complete the full circle in the startup ecosystem. It may be too early to happen in 2022, but I believe all of this will come up in the coming years.” Asked if the experiences of tech startups in 2020 and 2021 would be enough to equip them in better serving the market this year, Singh said: “Tech startups have definitely progressed but we have to give them a discount on the pandemic that we’re having. They did not have much of the exposure in terms of reaching out and maturing their product, but yes, they are there – they are definitely far ahead. They have progressed, undoubtedly, but there is still a long way to go.” He added: “The whole ecosystem should mature. What we need to do is to develop a fintech ecosystem. We’ve yet to see a mature wallet playing in the market; we still don’t have that. We need to see a mature player or a promising startup in the market, such as a startup or wallet focusing on loyalty solutions or deals like ‘buy now, pay later’. “In terms of fintech and technology, we still need to see more partnerships coming across the border from tech giants of the world. Unless that comes, knowledge enhancement will be challenging.”    

Rapid globalisation and connectivity through technological advancements are among the factors that contributed to the increase in venture capitalists (VCs) in the Middle East region, according to an industry expert. “There has been a collective awareness in terms of the growth of the number of VCs in the Middle East region,” said Dr Hanan el-Basha, co-director at the Qatar Chapter of Founder Institute, during the ‘Middle East Venture Fair’, a virtual forum organised recently by KiwiTech. “The collective vision right now of the region is to create more unicorns that come out of the Middle East,” said el-Basha, who was joined co-panellists Awdesh Chetal, venture partner, Risin Ventures; Mohsin Syed, EVP & chief startup officer, KiwiTech; and Steve Mackie, founder and co-owner, Business Startup Qatar, as panel moderator. According to el-Basha, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute “90% to 99% of worldwide economies,” are driving innovation, employment, and agility of the markets. “And what we have seen during the pandemic in the last couple of years was that agility and adaptability were the secret ingredients to survivability. Startups are important for having a role within the international and global markets, but it is also driven by technology, funds, and support. “If we look at the overall entrepreneurial ecosystems within the region that are coming up, we can divide them into three Es: entice, educate, and enablers. I think the rise in VCs is because of globalisation or because of connectivity through technology,” she explained. El-Basha said the trend has gone beyond the fields of energy and real estate since the 2008 financial crisis, “which created a lot of lessons.” She noted that the financial crisis also showed that it was necessary to expand to different sectors and segments. “That’s where the variety of different options and segments that technology-based businesses are starting to become viable and attractive.” El-Basha also explained that businesses that are “sustainable and scalable” are what VCs are looking for in the Middle East. “Scalable means that the business could be expanded into other markets or whether it could be localised to other markets or not. In terms of sustainability, VCs will not invest in a company that could disappear; the concept of it becomes untrendy or it disappears within one to three years. These are the two basic elements,” she said. She added: “Beyond that, what would VCs be looking for? In the region, there is a rise in the fields of ‘edtech’ and ‘healthtech’. Within Qatar, there is ‘sportstech’, which is an up-and-coming field because Qatar’s vision has been focusing on education and sports as main pillars. Of course, everything fits in fintech; if you don’t have fintech, all other tech-based businesses will not be able to function to the best of their ability.”    

Lusail city, hailed as the country’s “city of the future,” is seen as a prime destination for both local and foreign investors owing to its state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, according to Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani. Not only for its world-class amenities, Lusail city is also known to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and projects for businessmen, specifically along Lusail’s Commercial Boulevard, which will be the location of the chamber’s new headquarters, Sheikh Khalifa stated in Al Moltaqa, Qatar Chamber’s monthly economic magazine. Sheikh Khalifa emphasised that the private sector will benefit from Qatar Chamber’s new Lusail headquarters as the establishment would be “properly equipped” to provide various services to businesses and companies in the country. Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani Qatar Chamber initially announced the location of its new headquarters during a signing ceremony held between Sheikh Khalifa and engineer Abdulla bin Hamad al-Attiyah, Qatari Diar CEO, on the sidelines of the opening of Cityscape Qatar 2021. During the signing ceremony, Sheikh Khalifa lauded government efforts to shoulder the impact of Covid-19 on the country’s real estate market, which, according to him, managed to surpass the challenges of the pandemic. According to Al Moltaqa, al-Attiyah “expressed his contentment for signing a purchase contract for Qatar Chamber's new headquarters in Lusail.” He added: “The chamber's shifting to Lusail is an important addition to the services provided by the city in line with Qatari Diar’s vision about Lusail to become the economic capital city of the country.” As early as 2020, Qatar Chamber led a delegation that conducted a two-day field tour of the Lusail Commercial Boulevard project, which aims to promote investment opportunities for Qatari and foreign investors. Sheikh Khalifa led the delegation comprising Qatar Chamber senior officials, several board members, and other leading Qatari businessmen. Under the city’s master plan, Lusail boasts of 19 designated districts that offer residential, entertainment, sports, medical and education, and corporate and commercial projects spread across strategic areas. According to its website, Lusail city “will be home to more than 200,000 residents of its scenic surroundings, 170,000 professionals in its 19 districts, and 80,000 visitors to its entertainment, recreation and retail and hospitality facilities; a population of nearly 450,000 people. “Each of Lusail’s districts features an array of residential, commercial, hospitality, and retail destinations, integrating communal living in a self-contained model, complete with schools, mosques, medical facilities, as well as sport, entertainment and shopping centres.”

A new book, ‘Qatar We Lived: Its History, People and Rulers’, by Qatari entrepreneur HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani was launched on Sunday as part of the activities of the Doha International Book Fair. The launch ceremony was held in the presence of HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, Minister of State and president of Qatar National Library, during a press conference at the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) headquarters. HE Sheikh Faisal said, “I am honoured by the presence of HE Dr Hamad al-Kawari at the book’s inauguration ceremony, and I appreciate his continuous support for the cultural movement in the region and the world. Dr Hamad is one of the most prominent diplomats and intellectuals in the world. “My inspiration for writing the book came from my desire to testify and document Qatar’s history, making use of historical documents and rare photographs since its inception until today, basing this history on authentic sources, in addition to my testimony of information and events that I heard and witnessed in the majlis of Qatar’s people and rulers alike.” “I have lived through six out of the eight rulers of Qatar, and Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani, the Founder of the State of Qatar, is my great great grandfather, and that I lived in different times and eras for more than seven decades. Not to mention that my father was the Prince of Dukhan, the area in which the first oil wells were discovered in the late forties of the past century,” HE Sheikh Faisal said. On his part, HE Dr al-Kawari said, “It is not a surprise that my dear friend, Sheikh Faisal, consolidates such valuable information in his book, which we consider an important treasure for us, the future generation of Qatar’s leaders, citizens, and residents. And with the efforts of every member of the publishing team headed by Sheikh Faisal, we look forward to seeing ‘Qatar We Lived’ reach all homes and libraries in Qatar to make sure that the wider community is aware and being educated on this valuable history.” HE Sheikh Faisal said the book consists of 10 chapters and is being translated into English, French, Spanish, German, Turkish, Mandarin, Hindi, Persian and Portuguese. He said the book documents how the founding fathers of the nation, since the reign of Sheikh Mohamed bin Thani onwards, have established a communal life in Qatar where there was no difference between the ruler and the ruled as it was through facing hardships as a community that the voluntary role played by ‘the-to-be-rulers of Qatar’ set them apart in a position of leadership that became a stabilising factor to the country. He stressed that back in the day the ruler was the centre of everything as ministries and governmental institutions were not yet established, so much so that the responsibility of issuing power and water permits, and driving permits fell upon the ruler. “What is remarkable about the people of Qatar,” HE Sheikh Faisal said, “was their friendliness, humbleness, and hospitality, where visitors and foreigners are made to feel at home. They would be found side by side, from the highest position to the lowest without any distinction between tribes or any competition other than their love for their homeland.” HE Sheikh Faisal explained that the book emphasises the role of Qatari women in the State’s journey, pointing out that from the time of tents and tribes, all the way to the age of modernity and skyscrapers, the Qatari society has treasured and maintained a set of deeply-rooted traditions and customs that have preserved its identity, blending traditional values and modernity together. Further, the book mentions the years of struggle and strife that the Qatari people experienced and the battles they fought, as a reminder of the importance of peace and stability for the peoples of the region, as history has proven that ‘history repeats itself in similar ways’, and that shying away from dealing with history does not prevent conflict. “Therefore, it was imperative to include this history of conflict, in order to avoid its causes, and move forward with pure intentions and a desire for peace. Finally, the last chapter includes facts about Qatar, and pictures of Qatar old and current, that showcase the extent of development that the country underwent,” said HE Sheikh Faisal, who will hold a book signing event today on the sidelines of the Doha International Book Fair at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.    

From its pearl diving roots to becoming one of the richest countries in the world per capita, Qatari entrepreneur HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani’s new book, ‘Qatar We Lived: Its History, People and Rulers’, chronicles Qatar’s phenomenal transformational journey. According to HE Sheikh Faisal, his book describes the inception of Qatar, which went through so many hardships and harsh years that are inconceivable before it made it to the list of richest countries per capita annually, possessing the best airport and airline, plus being the largest exporter of liquified natural gas in the world at the beginning of the 21st century. Indeed, those challenges and achievements make for an inspirational journey and transformation, he said. The book was launched yesterday as part of the activities of the Doha International Book Fair. The launch ceremony was held in the presence of HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, Minister of State and president of Qatar National Library, during a press conference at the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) headquarters. HE Sheikh Faisal said the book demonstrates with documents, photographs, and numbers the huge scale of development and achievements happening under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and how His Highness the Amir had to face extraordinary circumstances that have boosted his ability to govern the State and protect its sovereignty, with the historic support from the people of Qatar around him. “Furthermore, his leadership during such difficult period has not only been crucial for his reign, but rather was crucial in the history of Qatar and its destiny forever. His Highness came out of that challenge as a young leader defending his country in a very wise and civilised manner, with an enhanced position on the international stage. “Thus, in a couple of years, we have accomplished what otherwise requires decades to achieve. It is said that the skill is hitting a target that others cannot hit, but brilliance is hitting a target nobody else can see, and that is what has been accomplished in the reign of His Highness Sheikh Tamim, the defender of sovereignty and the leader of development,” HE Sheikh Faisal stressed. He continued, “The book also confirms that great achievements can only be charged by an ambition that transcends reality, and as such, Qatar has shined by the vision of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the founder of the modern State, as we were in a race with time to catch up with his ambitions that became reality in a brief period.” History shall remember how he transformed Qatar’s character and positioned it as an active and respectable player on the world stage, how he developed and diversified Qatar’s economy to the point that Qatar became a leader in the field of energy, in addition to his ability to find a solution to the unsolvable questions where he found the balance between modernity and openness, while holding firmly and adhering to its origins and roots, HE Sheikh Faisal emphasised. He said the book showcases Qatar’s distinctive character since long ago, as it understood correctly its geographical situation and scarce population, for which it dealt with by maintaining balanced relations with the outer world, and by forging strategic partnerships on bases that fortified its security and sovereignty throughout history until today. Moreover, the book narrates the dangerous foreign meddling and conspiracies against the Founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani, had to face supported by his people, struggling for Qatar’s independence. It also shows how the third ruler, Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim al-Thani, led the country through a series of crises, including a worldwide pandemic, a recession in pearl markets, and two world wars that interrupted world trade, earning his reign, “the reign of endurance”. The book also talks about the entry into the age of oil, with the first shipment of Qatari oil in 1949 during the reign of Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah al-Thani, and the transition from the Bedouin life to that of civility and then independence, passing by the discovery of oil in the sea during the reign of Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani, who was the first to bear the title of 'Amir of Qatar'” and the decision maker for many important decisions that drove the country’s growth and added to the development of society in sectors vital for building the State and people. The book also discusses the discovery of natural gas, with the start of production of the North Field – the largest free gas field in the world in 1991 during the days of Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani. Sheikh Khalifa drew the features of the State in its modern sense after inaugurating a new phase of governmental and administrative organisation. After being appointed as the first Minister of Foreign Affairs, he established diplomatic relations with states of the world over, in addition to the inauguration of the first university in the country, Qatar University, in 1973. The book is already on sale at the ongoing Doha International Book Fair, which is taking place at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. Bachar Chebaro, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Press executive director, said the book is the top-seller among the HBKU Press publications available at the book fair.    

Bilateral merchandise trade between Qatar and the Philippines in the first nine months of 2021 stood at $179.02mn, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Philippines. Based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data as cited and processed by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), the DTI also recorded an upward trajectory in Qatar-Philippines bilateral trade from $214.02mn in 2019 to $232.89mn in 2020. In a statement to Gulf Times Friday, the DTI noted that the Philippines’ total exports to Qatar in 2020 amounted to $45.19mn. The top Philippine commodity exports to Qatar in 2020 include bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried, which amounted to $13.86mn or a 30.66% share of the total exports. Also included are “other bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other baker’s wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, and rice paper and similar products," amounting to $6.02mn or a 13.32% share of the total exports. This was followed by “other sauces and preparations thereof; mixed condiments and mixed seasonings; mustard flour and meal and prepared mustard" ($2.97mn, 6.57% share), as well as “other pasta, whether or not prepared” ($1.52mn, 3.36%) and “other parts of seats, of heading No 94.01” ($1.47mn, 3.26%). Conversely, the Philippines’ total imports from Qatar in 2020 amounted to $187.70mn. The Philippines’ top commodity imports from Qatar in 2020 were “light petroleum oils and preparations thereof,” which amounted to $52.15mn and a 27.79% share of the total imports. This was followed by “urea, whether or not in aqueous solution,” which reached $48.39mn and a 25.78% share of the total imports, as well as “semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel, containing by weight less than 0.25% of carbon of rectangular (including square) cross-section, the width measuring less than twice the thickness” ($35.18mn, 18.74% share); “polyethylene having a specific gravity of less than 0.94, in primary forms” ($19.05mn, 10.15%); and “petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude” ($17.03mn, 9.07%). In a recent statement, DTI secretary Ramon Lopez announced that the DTI will be leading a series of export promotion activities in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as part of its initiatives to seize opportunities in key sectors and markets. Lopez also said DTI will be participating in various international events and expos to promote Philippine companies and their products to further sustain the growth in Philippine exports. Next month, DTI and Philippine exporters will be participating in Gulfood 2022 or the ‘Gulf Food Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire’, a renowned international platform dedicated to food and beverage processing in the Mena region, he said. Lopez also said cumulative Philippine exports grew by 15.2% from January to November 2021 to $68.4bn compared to the same period in 2020 despite continued disruptions in the global economy due to Covid-19-related restrictions. Philippine merchandise exports increased by 6.6% year-on-year amounting to $6.3bn in November 2021 from $5.9bn in November 2020. Lopez pointed out that “the 2021 figure also grew by 4.91% compared to the same period in 2019, which amounted to $65.17bn. This reflected a better export performance compared to the prep-pandemic level.” November 2021 PSA data also showed that coconut oil recorded the highest annual increase of 95% out of the 10 major commodity groups in terms of export value. The country accounts for 60% of US coconut oil imports and 73% of US crude coconut oil imports. The rise in demand was due to changes in US trade policy, market trends, and dietary guidelines, he said. Lopez added: “To improve the country’s competitiveness in international markets, the Department of Trade and Industry is leading the drafting of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2022-2027 with an overarching goal of transforming the country from an exporter of commodities and intermediate goods to an exporter of high-value products and services. The new PEDP is envisioned take an industry development approach to boost export competitiveness i.e. by attracting export-oriented investments in innovation driven-sectors to increase product and service diversification.”

While fintechs in Qatar have had a stellar year in 2021, startups in the ‘FoodTech’ and ‘SportsTech’ industries are among the companies that are expected to add value to the economy this year, according to an industry expert. Asked to give a forecast for tech startups’ performance in 2022, as well as for Qatar’s startup sector, including up and coming sectors being anticipated this year, Ahmed Isse, co-founder of local fintech player, Dibsy, told Gulf Times: “It was a big year for startups all over the world and not just in Qatar.” “The biggest sectors that we see growing are FoodTech, fintech, and SportsTech. And this is not only influenced by the pandemic but also other economic factors,” he also pointed out. Dibsy uses a simple payment API to offer multiple payment methods, helping businesses to accept payments through their website, apps, or messaging platform, said Isse. The fintech firm recently won the ‘Most Funded Startups in Qatar’ award during the ‘Digital Qatar Symposium & Awards 2021’ organised last month by Forbes Middle East. According to Isse, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviour, giving tech startups an opportunity to address the public’s needs using digital technology and other innovative ideas. With the recent surge in daily Covid-19 infection cases, more people are maximising the use of technology for their day-to-day needs. “People are spending more time online and are starting to take advantage of e-commerce when brick and mortar stores are closed. Startups in fintech and delivery, for example, helped feed the new needs that arose from the aforementioned behavioural changes,” Isse explained. Isse emphasised that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of Qatar’s digital transformation, which is among the country’s priorities as part of the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. He stressed that the pandemic has also increased the need for lean startups, which, according to Isse, “are more agile and can thrive under rough circumstances.” He said, “We don't yet know how well-equipped startups are as the pandemic is still ongoing. Startups are, however, learning how to iterate quickly and improve their products and services when faced with challenges. As long as startups are building for customers and remain focused on their product, they can do well in the long run.” Isse also noted that the 2022 FIFA World Cup is a good business opportunity for startups in Qatar. But he cautioned that they must be quick in making the most of the event, which will run from November 21 to December 18. “Because the World Cup is a relatively short event, startups that have acquired the skills needed to iterate quickly will be able to do better under pressure and in short timeframes,” Isse added.

The German Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV) is aiming to explore investment opportunities available in different sectors in Qatar, NUMOV’s top executive has said. A business delegation from Germany is slated to arrive in Doha on January 16. The delegation’s meetings with different Qatari companies and other officials will run until January 17, NUMOV CEO Helene Rang told Gulf Times Monday. According to Rang, members of the delegation are keen to explore investment opportunities in the fields of biotechnology, food industry, education, renewable industry, logistics, security, defence, cable technology, and glass fibre, as well as further support for the upcoming FIFA World Cup this year. “We also aim to hold talks about an LNG terminal in Germany and discussions on special information technology (IT) solutions and chemical products, among other topics of interest,” Rang further explained. Rang emphasised that NUMOV is also bringing one businessman whose company is specialising in marketing for events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup slated in Qatar by the end of the year. She said, “As Germany’s oldest and largest non-government organisation (NGO), we are keen to support bilateral business relations to the whole region. Qatar was always my personal main objective, namely to bring German and Qatari businesses together, and at the same time to involve German high-level technology in future Qatari development. “NUMOV was the very first NGO to bring German business to Doha 25 years ago. And we brought business delegations every year since then to support bilateral business relations.” Given the current health restrictions due to Covid-19, Rang said only a select few of NUMOV’s members will be holding meetings in Doha during the business trip. “As soon as the situation changes, we will again bring a delegation comprising 28 people to Doha,” she said. “But because of the coronavirus pandemic, NUMOV also wants to organise bilateral video meetings for each Qatari business representative who is interested in order to bring all delegation members into business partnerships with Doha. “In fact, German companies are ready to provide any products or services at the request of the Qatari side. Any bilateral video meeting could be organised within a short time. Interested companies in Qatar are encouraged to visit www.numov.de so we could organise bilateral meetings in Doha or via video conference,” she also said. Rang lauded the economic and legal reforms implemented by Qatar to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the country. She emphasised that NUMOV has already informed “all companies in Germany about these reforms.” “These steps are very important for investments, as well as for Germany. It is the right way to attract foreign investments to Qatar,” explained Rang, adding that meetings in Doha will be organised for new businesses. “We are sure agreements will follow soon,” she noted.

* Disruptions, Covid-19 challenges push growth in startup ideas in Qatar, says tech entrepreneur Startups in Qatar performed well in 2021 amid the disruptions and challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a Doha-based tech entrepreneur. Overall, 2021 was a great year for fellow tech startups in Qatar, as well as for the country’s startup ecosystem,” CWallet CEO and founder Michael Javier told Gulf Times Sunday. “I believe it has tripled the number of startups ideas and increased the number of founders that applied to different incubation centres because of the hype in the region. It also led to more appetite for first-time angel investors to test the waters,” he also said. While there were no major disruptions by startups in Qatar, Javier said the use of e-commerce and delivery platforms has increased their user base. “Startups’ user base will be increasing more and more. And I believe 2021 was the spark of the revolution, and the country could expect more this year,” Javier further pointed out. According to Javier, 2020 and 2021 provided startups in Qatar a wealth of experience to fine-tune their services and adapt to the situation, giving them more opportunities to cater to the needs of the market this year. “The past two years were learning curves for a majority of startups, including CWallet and other fintech and ‘edtech’ startups. It was also the year of establishing the core business and partnerships with various industry players in both the domestic and international scene. “This time around it’s all about generating sales and acquiring customers at all cost. I believe 2022 is the ‘Series A’ year for local startups in Qatar. This means the opportunity to raise funds will be achievable,” Javier stressed. He also emphasised that this learning curve and other experiences will play a significant role in their business operations this year, especially since Qatar is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which opens many potential opportunities to do business. “There’s a lot of opportunities this year and those early startup mistakes, learnings, and experiences will allow startups to diversify or pivot the way business models work, especially how to capitalise on the upcoming FIFA World Cup,” Javier noted. Asked to give a forecast on the performance of tech startups and Qatar's startup sector in 2022, as well as up and coming sectors, Javier said: “I believe the number of successful startups will drastically increase and more funding will flourish. More international players will come and try to acquire local startups, as well. I believe mobility, ‘edtech’, and fintech will be in high demand.” Javier said that in the first quarter of this year, CWallet will announce major partnerships, including the closing of the company’s Pre-Series A. “Hopefully in the coming weeks, we will be part of Qatar Central Bank’s sandbox programme as we enhance our mobile money wallet, which will be providing payment and remittance services.” “Moreover, towards the first week of February 2022, we shall be realising ‘CShop Web’ – one of the biggest digital marketplaces in the region. Also, by end of the third quarter, we are aiming to penetrate in GCC and Asia regions in providing various services to expat-oriented countries,” Javier said.

Ukraine’s top diplomat in Qatar is attaching “great importance” to the development of the Eastern European nation’s trade and economic co-operation with the Gulf country, which he describes as a “reliable partner in the Gulf region.” “Ukraine is very satisfied with the intensification of its bilateral economic co-operation with Qatar. It is important to maintain the positive dynamics of economic dialogue,” ambassador Andrii Kuzmenko told Gulf Times Saturday. He said, “I have the pleasure to point out a noticeable increase in the overall trade between our countries from 2017 to 2021. In 2020, the total trade turnover between Ukraine and Qatar significantly outperformed the figures of 2019 ($82.26mn) and amounted to $139.15mn. That sounds promising but still far from both sides’ ambitions and potential.” In the first 10 months of 2021, Kuzmenko said, Qatar and Ukraine were able to “preserve a positive trend towards bilateral trade in goods” despite certain changes in trade policy aimed at combating the spread of Covid-19. “In particular, during January-October 2021, the total volume of Ukrainian-Qatari trade in goods amounted to $151.86mn. The volume of Ukrainian exports amounted to $138.25mn, and Qatar supplied our country during this period goods worth $13.60mn. The positive balance is $124.65mn,” Kuzmenko said. Kuzmenko also lauded the further strengthening of Qatar-Ukraine economic and political bilateral relations, citing the meetings of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Kuzmenko earlier noted that Ukraine is becoming “more and more attractive” for foreign business, citing the country’s “great” potential and extensive domestic market, favourable geographical location, skilled manpower, scientific potential, and developed infrastructure. “I am really glad to see an increase of interest in the Ukrainian market from Qatar's investors,” said Kuzmenko. On the occasion of Qatar National Day, which was celebrated last month, Kuzmenko told Qatar News Agency that “despite a challenging 2021, we are extremely proud of the multifaceted partnership we have developed with the State of Qatar in various areas. “Undoubtedly, the most prominent example is that the President of Ukraine and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani have managed to meet twice and discuss the topics of great importance for both the countries. In Ukraine, we do value our relations and partnership with such an important regional and international player.” According to Kuzmenko, he is hopeful that the positive trajectory in Qatar-Ukraine bilateral relations will continue and that both countries’ “multidimensional co-operation” will yield “generous fruits.”

Qatar’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector’s contribution to GDP growth has been steadily increasing, according to Qatar Chamber general manager Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi, citing local SMEs’ “remarkable growth in the past few years.” “Qatar attaches substantial interest to the development of the country’s SMEs to keep pace with the effective economic policies adopted by the State within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030,” al-Sharqi said in the latest edition of Al Moltaqa, Qatar Chamber’s monthly economic magazine. Al-Sharqi explained that this approach is also part of a comprehensive vision and well-defined plans to diversify sources of income, and to gradually move from an oil-based economy to a diversified, knowledge-based economy, in which SMEs play a pivotal role. “To support SMEs, the state sought to provide an appropriate environment for these businesses by enacting laws and legislations, and implementing measures that would stimulate the establishment of such enterprises. “It also strived to facilitate the establishment of finance procedures for these businesses, while boosting the competitiveness between entrepreneurs and business owners to achieve more quality and efficiency,” al-Sharqi pointed out. To achieve this goal, al-Sharqi said Qatar Chamber has been working with business owners to encourage them to invest in the SME sector. He said the chamber is also seeking to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow into this sector, especially in businesses that depend on advanced technologies. “SMEs are the real engines of the modern economy and represent about 95% of the total number of companies worldwide. Therefore, the development of this sector in Qatar will reflect positively on the economy,” he said. Al-Sharqi added: “As part of Qatar Chamber's interest to support SMEs, it biennially holds its SMEs Conference. Through this conference, the chamber aims to stimulate investments in SMEs and promote the development of these businesses, especially that Qatar provides advanced infrastructure, legislation, and laws that stimulate investments, as well as economic and logistic zones and free zones that offer a myriad of investment opportunities and represent a fertile environment for the growth of SMEs.”

CWallet, Qatar’s "first and only" mobile application to facilitate banking via blockchain technology, has teamed up with PLDT, the Philippines’ largest fully integrated telco, to help Filipinos in Qatar and in the Middle East get access to financial services. CWallet is an innovative financial services app created by Qatar-based fintech startup, C Wallet Services. The startup will be officially announcing its successful investment round “by the first quarter of 2022 or earlier,” CWallet CEO and founder Michael Javier told Gulf Times yesterday. According to the PLDT website, CWallet enables PLDT’s international arm PLDT Global Corporation (PGC) access to e-commerce platforms or digital marketplaces and allow purchases online even without having a bank account or a credit card. The partnership also allows users to conveniently send cross-border payments and remittances. Under this partnership, over 300,000 overseas Filipinos in Qatar would be able to tap CWallet’s Filipino-centric digital products and services, such as mobile load, electronic gifts, gaming pins, and bills payment through PGC’s digital platform, Vortex. The service will also soon expand to the rest of the Middle East and in Africa, the website further stated. CWallet is a fintech startup incubated by the Digital Incubation Centre (DIC) under the then Ministry of Transport and Communications, and is funded by the Qatar Science and Technology Park’s (QSTP) Product Development Programme, as well as the Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC), a Qatar Development Bank (QDB) initiative. Javier said: “It is our mission to empower and enable individuals in the region by giving solutions to low-income and unbanked migrant workers, allowing them to access financial services that are currently unavailable to them. Both CWallet and PLDT Global share the same values in providing the best services to OFWs in the Middle East and the rest of the world.” “Now more than ever, we strive to remain at the forefront of keeping overseas Filipinos closer to home through technology. This partnership with CWallet allows us to bridge the distance between our kababayans and their families in the Philippines with digital solutions that help them take care of their loved ones even from afar,” said Albert V Villa-Real, president and CEO at PLDT Global. According to PLDT, this initiative is part of a broader PLDT programme aligned to help the country achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal No 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and underscores the company’s focus area of connecting Filipinos everywhere. Caption: CWallet CEO and founder Michael Javier

Tourists arriving in Qatar via cruise ships are set for excursions across different destinations in the country but under strict health and safety protocols, a travel agency executive has said. “The cruise season has started under very stringent protocols by Qatar Tourism. We are quite excited to see the big ships back in Doha,” Tawfeeq Travel Group CEO Rehan Ali Syed told Gulf Times. Syed noted that cruise passengers arriving to Qatar have a wide selection of destinations to visit while visiting the country. He said all tourism-related activities in Qatar “are going as planned” in the wake of the successful conclusion of the FIFA Arab Cup 2021. “There are several other activities lined up, such as the Turkish Super Cup final, adventure trips to Purple Island and the Doha Quest indoor theme park, apart from national attractions like National Museum of Qatar, Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre, and traditional Souq Waqif tour, among many others. At Tawfeeq Holidays, we offer 19 different excursions for our cruise passengers,” he explained. The Qatar Tourism website stated that the highlights of the 2021-22 cruise season include a total of 65 confirmed calls, nine instances where Doha Port will dock two ships at a time, 11 cruise ships making their maiden voyages, 11 turnaround voyages, and nine ships staying overnight at Doha Port.” “This will allow cruise visitors ample time to explore the destination’s travel, hospitality, and retail promotions during the season. Turnaround voyages will start and end their journey from Doha Port for the duration of the cruise season,” it added. Asked if travel agencies are working with health authorities to ensure that staff members are fully-vaccinated, Syed said: “We are all somehow connected with MoPH to ensure all our staff are vaccinated because health and safety are of prime importance.” He said, “We ensure that every week deep fogging is done in our head office, and our branches are sprayed with disinfectant on regular basis. In fact, since we do ground handling of some cruise ships, we ensure that apart from passengers being vaccinated we completely sanitise their bags before they are loaded in the cruise ship to minimise any kind of viral infection.” Syed added: “We have very stringent rules in place for all the passengers joining the cruise or going for shore excursions. The cruise liners are made aware of the rules in advance to ensure seamless operations. Any passenger who is joining from Qatar but is not vaccinated and without proper PCR test cannot enter the cruise; the same protocol applies for the shore excursion passenger arriving from the cruise – he or she has to be vaccinated with a negative PCR test.” Qatar Tourism’s website also stated that “cruise tourism came to a halt due to the pandemic, terminating by the end of February 2020. To assuage concerns, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has put in place special protocols for travellers arriving to or from Qatar on cruise ships.”

A newly-established online portal is aiming to bring together stakeholders and enablers in the country to further enhance the growth and development of Qatar’s startup ecosystem. According to 360 Nautica startup programme manager Avneet Kaur, ‘Doha Startups’ is a one-stop platform for startups in Qatar, which aims to make the country “one of the startup-friendly nations in the Mena region and worldwide. “Doha Startups is a community that we’re building; it is a one-stop platform for startups in Qatar. My plan for the coming years, especially for 2022, is to put Qatar in the top 30 list of startup-friendly nations in the Mena region or globally. “Currently, Dubai is running at number 11 in the list. They’ve jumped 10-11 spots and they’re the only city in the whole Mena region that is on the startup gnome list, which is published every year. So, the plan is to make Doha Startups a stepping stone to achieving that position,” Kaur told Gulf Times. The Doha Startups website explains that the portal was designed to be “Qatar's largest online platform” for startups, investors, incubators, accelerators, mentors, and other ecosystem enablers. “Doha Startups is powered by 360 Nautica, which is a venture and a growth capital platform with a focus on helping entrepreneurs to grow from an idea stage to a self-sustainable organisation. “The objective is to create possibilities for collaboration and partnerships between different entities. Anyone will be able to access a wealth of free resources and participate in the many programmes that will be accessible through the platform,” it also stated. Kaur pointed out that bringing together stakeholders in the public and private sectors would help propel the country’s startup sector into the global spotlight, thus giving entrepreneurs access to different business opportunities abroad. The Doha Startups website also stated that “the portal will continue to evolve and be a platform where startups can have detailed and complete profiles that will be a paid service in the near future. This will be a premium service that will create a gateway for startups in Qatar to be visible to the region and the rest of the world and connect with investors and partners.” Kaur added: “Interested parties can log on to our platform, which is already live…we launched the platform earlier in 2021; we are changing day by day, and we are adding more features to the platform to make things easier for people, especially the ecosystem enablers to utilise it.”

The State of Qatar witnessed in 2021 an “exponential growth” in the acceleration of digital transformation, particularly in its startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem amid the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Hefzi Malhis, partnerships manager at Innovation Café, 2021 was a good year for tech startups, especially for companies that were “responsive and active” at the height of the pandemic. “Though it is unfortunate that the pandemic forced many startups to close shop, a lot of them, nonetheless, experienced growth despite the situation because they changed their business model very quickly to adapt and overcome the challenges in the market,” Malhis told Gulf Times. Malhis said many entrepreneurs were discouraged to continue after experiencing failures in their respective businesses at the height of the pandemic in 2020 forcing them to shut down operations. “What people do not understand is that for startups the return on investments is very high. But it is also all about risk and failure. There must be room for failure because if you don’t fail, that means you’re not trying something new; there will be no progress. Failure is a very important part of the process,” Malhis explained. He further said: “For startups that changed their business model, going digital helped saved their companies and businesses because the disruption caused by the pandemic had changed the mindset of people, making them realise that in the current situation there is no other way but to go digital and to go online. “As more companies are leveraging e-commerce, many tech startups are doing much better now than before the pandemic. The Covid-19 crisis really helped accelerate the digital transformation of many businesses. People now know the worth of digital technology.” According to Malhis, while there are still a lot of uncertainties going forward, the experiences gained by entrepreneurs in 2021 “will encourage the growth of more startups this 2022.” Malhis said Innovation Café aims to conduct a series of events this year in the fields of fintech and ‘health tech’, among others. Also in the pipeline is a plan to hold another hackathon by mid-January. He said the ‘E-Commerce Hackthon’, a first-of-its-kind in Qatar organised by Innovation Café last November, solicited a “positive response” from industry stakeholders and major sponsors, who are calling for the staging of more similar initiatives this 2022. E-Commerce Hackathon attracted the participation of innovative entrepreneurs from Qatar and nine Arab countries during the event, which was aimed at encouraging innovation and crowdsourcing solutions to address, nurture, and launch the latest innovation opportunities in the e-commerce industry. In an earlier statement, Innovation Cafe founder Ramzan al-Naimi said: “We were honoured to host the first-ever e-commerce hackathon in the State of Qatar. We received more than 300 applications and after the assessment and ideas evaluation, we shortlisted over 100 applicants from all backgrounds from 10 countries to participate both virtually and in person at Qatar Science & Technology Park. “Our biggest aim of organising this hackathon was to come up with cutting-edge solutions in the e-commerce sector that could become the next billion-dollar Qatari-based unicorns.”

Winners of a recently held ‘hackathon’ have lauded major entities in the public and private sector for their key role in the development and growth of the country's start-up ecosystem during a panel discussion organised by Startup Grind Doha. Titled ‘Qatar’s Growing Startup Ecosystem – The Hackathon Narrative’, the discussion revolved around the experiences of Ariva and Magaia at the ‘E-commerce Hackathon’, a first-of-its-kind competition in Doha organised last month by Innovation Café. Placing third in the hackathon, Ariane Gibert, founder of Magaia, and second place winners, Swapan Saha and Khaled al-Adba, CEO and CMO of Ariva, respectively, led the panel discussion, which was moderated by Agata Braja, UI/UX designer at Qatar Foundation. “Last month, we were really excited about Innovation Cafe's E-Commerce Hackathon because 360 Nautica and Startup Grind were strategic partners of the event. This month, we would like the winners to share post-event updates with the participants. What is the story after that? “We are happy to learn that after the hackathon, the winners, such as Magaia and Ariva, are being incubated in different places and that a lot of funding is in the pipeline for them,” 360 Nautica Startup Programme manager Avneet Kaur told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event. The panel of experts all agreed that government ministries and organisations, such as Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Tasmu, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), and Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC), as well as leading companies in the private sector, have played a significant role in supporting the growth and development of the country’s entrepreneurship culture and startup ecosystem. During the panel discussion, Gibert, who is a marketing expert with a demonstrated history in digital marketing and content creation, and the founder of the circular fashion platform, ‘Souqti’, explained her project Magaia, which is a blockchain solution that tracks the provenance and carbon footprint of clothing items. On the other hand, al-Adba, a Reliability engineer at Qatar Shell with over 10 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, stressed that Qatar is making its mark in the region’s startup sector. He also underscored the rapid development Qatar has achieved in the entrepreneurship and startup scene in the past 10 to 15 years. Saha explained the importance of joining competitions, such as the E-Commerce Hackathon, and the experiences that the participants would gain from the activities, as well as the valuable advice offered by mentors, who are veterans in their respective fields of expertise. According to Kaur, Startup Grind Doha’s previous in-person event was held prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in February 2020. “From January 2022, we are looking forward to continue hosting in-person events for Startup Grind Doha with the proper health and safety precautions in place.” Kaur also announced plans by ‘Doha Startups’ – a newly-established one-stop platform for startups in Qatar. Doha Startups also aims to make Qatar “one of the startup-friendly nations in the Mena region and worldwide,” she noted.

Stakeholders in the travel and tourism sector are supporting health experts in their call for community members to take the booster dose, an industry official has stressed, citing the importance of educating tourists on Covid-19, particularly the Omicron variant. “We all are morally responsible for the safety of our travelers, hence we have to educate them about the Covid-19 booster vaccination, which is recommended by the Ministry of Public Health’s (MoPH),” Tawfeeq Travel Group CEO Rehan Ali Syed told Gulf Times Tuesday. He stressed: “I completely endorse and urge the same to all citizens and residents to take the flu shot along with the booster dose. We have to promote health and safety as a priority amongst all in Qatar. As time passes, vaccinated people become less protected, which is why doctors are asking people to get a booster dose.” Syed also cautioned the public to verify reports, especially those circulating on social media to avoid creating panic and misinformation. “All information needs to be validated from the right source, which is MoPH. The WHO has announced that this variant is considerably weak than the delta variant. Though the majority of the population in Qatar has been vaccinated, we should still be cautious and abide by MoPH guidelines to enjoy the outings and get-togethers,” Syed explained. According to Syed, the Omicron variant has affected airline operations worldwide. There has been major flight cancellations across US and Europe.” This, however, “did not create a major impact with our passengers,” he emphasised. Syed said, “Due to the high vaccination rate in Qatar, it is much safer here. The stringent rules applied in Qatar ensure the safety of the people. On the impact of the pandemic on the travel and tourism industry, Syed said markets have been “on recovery mode since the summer of this year.” However, regular changes or revisions of the list of countries from ‘Green’ to ‘Red’ and ‘Ultra-red’ “have created major uncertainty amongst travellers,” he pointed out. Syed further explained: “With this new variant, we had major cancellations of bookings as most of the families booked to travel for winter cancelled their plans. It is very difficult to suggest or recommend any other place because you are not sure if there will be sudden changes in the Green Zone and some countries might get downgraded depending on the rate of infections. “Nevertheless, for some of our travellers who decided to go ahead with their plans, we strongly recommended having the booster dose, as well as the flu shot in order to avoid any critical illness pertaining to the coronavirus and its variant.”