Business leaders from Qatar and the UAE have expressed keen interest to form a six-member committee from their respective chambers of commerce to enhance mutual investment opportunities in various sectors. 
For the Qatari side, the committee will be composed of Qatar Chamber vice chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari and board members Ali Abdullatif al-Misnad and Mohamed Ahmed al-Obaidly, while Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry 1st deputy chairman Dr Ibrahim al-Mahmoud, Mohamed al-Noaimi, Atig Jomaa, and Abdula al-Marzoqi will represent the UAE.
Al-Kuwari, who spoke to Gulf Times yesterday on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Qatari-UAE business council held at the Sheraton Doha Hotel, noted that the committee will focus on three main sectors: food security, tourism, and IT.
“There are plenty of opportunities in these industries, whether in the region or outside, and we are targeting those that can provide added-value to the private sector of both Qatar and the UAE,” he said.
Once established, al-Kuwari said, the committee will evaluate the possibility of establishing a joint investment fund to support future projects.
Mohamed Thani Murshed al-Rumaithi, chairman of both the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed that the committee will also “oversee all opportunities available for Qatar and the UAE, help enhance the private sector, and raise bilateral relations of both sides.”
“The areas we are looking at are joint investments in various fields, particularly industries, and to push further bilateral trade relations between Qatar and the UAE,” added Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani.
During the meeting, al-Kuwari said the committee will study the investment, entrepreneurship, and business projects between Qatar and UAE, including the “obstacles facing the business community.”
He also underscored the importance of “exchanging experiences from both sides, especially for mega projects,” and noted that there is “strong confirmation and desire” to enhance partnerships and co-operation between Qatari and UAE private sectors.
Al-Kuwari said the business council also suggested the establishment of an “electronic gate” to provide Qatar and UAE business chambers online access “to help interested parties explore the investment opportunities, business procedures, and sectors available.”
After the meeting, the participants attended the Qatar-UAE Economic Forum where representatives from the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) delivered presentations about Qatar’s ongoing mega-infrastructure projects.
In a speech, Sheikh Khalifa announced that trade volume between Qatar and the UAE has reached QR26bn ($7bn) in 2015.