Qatar, Russia explore opportunities to boost travel, tourism sectors

Qatari-Russian Centre for Cooperation (QRCC) CEO Diana Charmadova concludes this two-part interview with Gulf Times by providing an extensive rundown of opportunities and investment plans between Qatar and Russia in a variety of sectors, including the tourism and travel sectors, as well as bilateral trade, and agriculture.

GT: What sectors are seeing growing interest with respect to bilateral trade and investment between Qatar and Russia?

Charmadova: The total volume of trade exchange between the State of Qatar and the Russian Federation increased by 47% during the past two years to reach $296mn in 2020 over $201.16mn in 2019.

Qatar hosts about 82 companies operating across various vital economic sectors at all levels, especially at the industrial, commercial, and investment fronts, as well as in terms of the economy and energy infrastructure.

Qatar is also applying joint efforts with the Russian side on ongoing discussions about emerging issues, such as e-commerce, investment facilitation mechanisms, and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

What avenues of development are Qatar and Russia exploring with relations to the travel and tourism sector?

Tourism is another aspect of major priority with respect to the development of bilateral economic relations and cooperation for both Qatar and Russia.

QRCC has focused on the travel and tourism sector by creating QR Experience, which aims to enrich the tourism sector between the two countries. QR Experience is a boutique travel and concierge agency focused on inbound and outbound travel between Qatar and Russia that creates and executes unique experiences, luxury tours, and excursions for leisure and business tourists.

At the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2021, the Qatar National Tourism Council signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of St Petersburg. As part of the agreement, QNTC and the City of St Petersburg expressed their joint intention to promote the development of organised group travel, FIT, and specialised tourist groups, as well as provide advice, information, and legal support while also facilitating participation in international tourism exhibitions. The agreement will also see the resumption of direct air traffic between St Petersburg and the State of Qatar.

Qatar Airways confirmed their interest in possible tourism opportunities in St Petersburg with Memoranda of Intentions with the government of St Petersburg and Northern Capital Gateway, the company in charge of managing the Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg.

In addition, Qatar Museums signed an MoU with the Russian Ministry of Culture, as well as the world’s second-largest museum – the State Hermitage Museum during SPIEF 2021. The MoUs between the entities will see co-operation in numerous initiatives, including exhibitions, public programmes, workshops, and lectures to foster education, increase access to knowledge and facilitate research.

Qatar National Library also engaged in two significant MoUs during the forum with Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, the oldest museum in Russia, and the St Petersburg Museum of Islamic Culture, the newest museum in Russia. The MoUs pave the way for digitising the two museums’ historical photographic collections on the Gulf region for the Qatar Digital Library and their historical photographic collections on the Middle East and Islamic world for the Digital Library of the Middle East.

Furthermore, as part of the cultural programme and introducing Qatar’s heritage to the Russian people, the Russian Museum is hosting an exhibition titled ‘Qatar between Land and Sea – Art and Heritage’, which will host artefacts from the National Museum of Qatar, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum.

We also invited Doha Film Institute to participate in the Qatar Film Days programme, a film festival that showcases several short and feature-length films from the Mena region, in Russia. Additionally, we have hosted Mawaheb, a series of multi-genre events at key venues around St Petersburg featuring symphony and audiovisual concerts, a residence for international and local musicians, parties, a musical picnic by the water, and an educational programme.

Qatar is a huge market for halal Russian meat. How do the two countries aim to continue collaboration with respect to the agricultural sector?

The quality of Russian halal meat is highly regarded in Qatar and the wider Gulf region. Last year, its total shipments to all the GCC countries was $106mn.

As part of growing economic and agricultural relations, Hassad Food CEO, engineer Mohamed al-Sada, and the Russian Federation’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sergey Levin discussed prospects for co-operation at SPIEF 2021.

Hassad Food, Qatar’s food and agribusiness investment arm, has signed several MoUs with leading Russian agriculture entities, in addition to a deal with Damate to bring halal Russian lamb to the Qatari market.

Widam Food, the largest producer and processor of animal proteins in Qatar and Damate Group, one of the largest producers of turkey meat and other animal proteins in Russia, have agreed to develop and expand the trading relationship in the sector. Both sides expect significant trading potential between the two countries, particularly in the halal lamb meat business.

Recently, Sadarah (Qatar), owner of Agrico Organic Farm, and iFarm, a Finland-headquartered AgTech company with operations in Russia, Europe, and globally, joined forces to build and collaboratively manage a commercial-scale indoor farm based on iFarm’s latest vertical farming technology in the State of Qatar. The multi-year partnership will optimise the growing of leafy greens, strawberries, and edible flowers, and help ensure a steady year-round supply of fresh produce to the tables of Qatari people.