Trade mission secures potential deals worth QR5.50mn from Qatar, says Indonesian trade minister

Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan has secured potential transactions worth QR5.5mn (23.2bn Indonesian rupiah) during a recently held trade mission to Qatar.Hasan, who led a high-level business delegation here, was accompanied by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Trade, Suhanto, and the director general of the National Export Development of the Ministry of Trade, Didi Sumedi, as well as several Indonesian companies.

Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan

The potential transactions were procured during a business matching session held on Monday in Doha. The transactions were from beauty and hospitality products, spices and seasonings, snacks and processed foods, frozen fish, garments, and handicrafts.Participating in the business matching event were 11 Indonesian companies and 42 Qatari businesses. Indonesia’s major products include palm oil and its derivatives, paper products, automotive, batteries, food and beverages, home decorations, handicraft products, garments, and beauty products.“The trade mission to Qatar managed to record potential transactions worth IDR23.2bn from this business matching initiative. This value has the potential to increase further, considering that the participating businesses are still following up on requests from potential partners who were brought together during the event,” Hasan explained.Furthermore, Hasan emphasised that the recorded value “still has the potential to continue to grow” after participating Indonesian and Qatari companies would make the necessary business follow-ups in the coming period.Prior to the business matching event, the trade minister and his accompanying delegation participated in the Indonesia-Qatar Business Forum, which carried the theme ‘Strengthening Trade, Investment & Economic Partnership between Indonesia & Qatar’.The event was held in the presence of Qatar Chamber first vice chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari; Saleh bin Majed al-Khulaifi, assistant undersecretary for Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan, as well as other guests.Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event, the ambassador pointed out that the business forum is part of a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening economic and bilateral relations between Qatar and Indonesia. He noted that the embassy is working with relevant authorities to organise business delegations for both Qatari and Indonesian investors for future partnerships and joint projects that would benefit the economy of both countries.