US firms eye investments in energy, food security says, USQBC president

Qatar’s energy sector and food security initiatives are among the many investment opportunities that US companies are keen to explore, according to an official of the US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC). Scott Taylor visited the country for the first time since he was appointed president of USQBC in June this year and has held meetings with the Ministry of Municipality, Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA), Qatar Financial Authority (QFC), Hassad Foods, and Media City Qatar, among others, during his trip.“These meetings lead into my vision, where I see USQBC, and what we should be doing. USQBC is a bespoke organisation, which has very tailored solutions and access, and is helpful to our members, especially US companies that want to have connections or may need our help to do business in Qatar and vice versa.“Where I think we need to go is one of the reasons why I'm here, and why we'll get to be here fairly often is to understand the direction of the country – where it is going in terms of defence, energy, and food security, climate change, and genomics, ICT, and so on. This country has a vision and USQBC needs to grow with it and aligned with Qatar’s focus, as well,” Taylor told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview.Citing Qatar Media City, for example, Taylor said it has “an ambitious plan,” which includes e-sports and gaming that complements Qatar’s direction post-FIFA 2022. “We have a lot of that (e-sports/gaming) in the US, so that gives me an understanding of where they’re going and where they want to be, so I can reach out to US companies in that space who may want to do business here and have a presence in Qatar. It all comes down to aligning USQBC’s efforts with this country and where it is headed,” he explained.Taylor also lauded the recent arrival of US ambassador Timmy T Davis, with whom he had discussions on US-Qatar business and commercial ties, as well as on the growing relations of both countries. “I’m excited to have him. I know he is going to be a massive resource not just for commerce and business, but also for the relationship of our two countries,” Taylor pointed out.Taylor also assured USQBC’s role in facilitating Qatari investments into the US, citing sectors like real estate and investments in equities and companies, as well. He stressed that USQBC will be bringing different business delegations representing US companies from a variety of sectors to Qatar by next year.“The USQBC will be bringing trade groups, as well as business and congressional delegations, among others, to Qatar after the World Cup. We also would be inviting Qatari companies to explore the investment climate of the different states in the US. The best is yet to come, and we will create a lot of bilateral trade to strengthen the relations of our two nations,” he added.