Commerce Minister in Qatar to enhance economic ties

Doha: An Omani delegation led by Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, paid an official visit to Qatar to strengthen bilateral relations and explore opportunities for economic partnership and integration between the two countries.

The Omani delegation included government officials, representatives from the Oman Investment Authority, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a number of businessmen.

On the sidelines of the visit, His Excellency and the accompanying delegation met with Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in promising sectors such as mining, tourism, and industry, and reviewed Omani investment opportunities in the fields of industry, energy, logistics, food security, and technology.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the importance of creating effective channels of communication between the public and private sectors and accelerating the pace of exploiting investment opportunities between the two brotherly countries.

During its meeting with Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the delegation discussed mechanisms for strengthening trade partnerships, including holding trade fairs, activating the role of the Omani-Qatari Joint Business Council, and establishing joint companies that would contribute to increasing trade exchange.

Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef,and the accompanying delegation also met with Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry, during which they discussed enhancing industrial and commercial cooperation between the two sides, including green hydrogen, petrochemical, and food industry projects, in addition to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and exchanging expertise in the field of investment promotion and export development.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to explore opportunities for industrial integration and develop joint promotional programs for Omani and Qatari products in international markets.

Meanwhile, during meeting with Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority, the Omani delegation discussed opportunities for cooperation in tourism promotion, including holding exhibitions for Omani products in Qatar, exchanging expertise in developing the tourism sector, and launching joint initiatives such as cruises and tourism festivals in Musandam, Salalah, and Doha.

The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion discussed with Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiya, Qatari Minister of Municipality, ways to boost Omani exports of agricultural and fishery products and building materials, in addition to discussing the challenges facing some Omani companies in the building materials sector.

 During a visit to the Free Zones Authority, he discussed with Qatari officials opportunities for integration between Omani ports and Qatar free zones to facilitate trade and exchange expertise in managing and operating these zones.

The Omani delegation’s visit included field visits to Qatar Science and Technology Park to learn about business incubators and Qatar’s experience in supporting technology startups. The delegation also visited the Investment and Trade Court to learn about the mechanism in place for resolving commercial and investment disputes.

On the sidelines of the visit, the delegation held a series of meetings with the Qatari Businessmen Association and a group of other businessmen, including Alfardan Group, UCC Group, Investment Holding, Almana Company, and Bin Sheikh Group.

During the meetings, cooperation opportunities were discussed in the tourism, financial services, real estate, and technology sectors.

The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, affirmed that these meetings reflect the commitment of the leaderships of the two brotherly countries to strengthening economic and investment relations.

He added that the positive outcomes of the visit will contribute to opening new horizons for joint cooperation to serve the mutual interests of the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Qatar.

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