Qatari investments in Tunisia crossed QR4bn in 2015, says official

Qatari investments in Tunisia surpassed the QR4bn mark in 2015, representing 13% of the country’s total foreign direct investments (FDI), an official of Qatar Chamber has said. Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from Tunisia yesterday, Qatar Chamber vice-chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari said Qatari investments, including direct investments in five basic projects, provided more than 120,000 jobs.Al-Kuwari stressed that that these investments ranked first in the Arab nation and second internationally in terms of the volume of FDI in Tunisia. He also said the volume of trade exchange between Qatar and Tunisia reached QR146mn in 2016.During the meeting, al-Kuwari said the chamber is “ready to establish effective business cooperation” between Qatari and Tunisian businessmen to spur “further economic benefits for the private sector of both countries.”He noted that cooperation between Qatari and Tunisian businessmen “is one of the pillars of strong relations between the two countries,” and called on both parties to establish effective partnerships and to invest in high-profit projects.Sami Gabsi, the vice-president of the Tunisian association, Namaa, and head of the Tunisian delegation, said many Tunisian businessmen “are eager to start investing in industrial projects that meet the needs of the Qatari market.”Gabsi also called for the prospective signing of a cooperation agreement between the association and the chamber, as well as expanding trade visits and data exchange between the two sides. He further expressed hope that the meeting “will contribute to the establishment of bilateral partnerships facing the current and future economic challenges and the interest of the two brotherly countries.”Representatives of Tunisian companies from the visiting delegation delivered a presentation during the meeting on a number of sectors, including food products, building materials, contracting, electricity, medical materials, furniture, and agriculture, in preparation for entering the Qatari market. Namaa is a non-profit Tunisian development association aimed at attracting foreign investments to Tunisia, introducing Tunisian companies abroad, providing advice, and activating economic initiatives.