Qatar still has “untapped opportunities” to develop products that bear the “Made in Qatar” brand, especially in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, an entrepreneur has said. 
According to Raw Middle East founder Layla al-Dorani, local companies can turn issues like food security and the country’s dependence on imported products into business opportunities that can create added-value for Qatar’s F&B sector.
Established in 2013, Raw Middle East has since supplied the local market with healthy, 100% all-natural fruit and vegetable juice drinks.
“Aside from just opening restaurants and cafes, local entrepreneurs could still create products from the untapped opportunities in the country, particularly in Qatar’s F&B sector. It would be great to see more ‘Made in Qatar’ products on the shelves when you walk inside supermarkets, and this really adds value to the industry,” al-Dorani told Gulf Times.
“At least 98% of food products in Qatar are imported and there’s a huge food security issue, which, I believe, is an opportunity for other entrepreneurs to improve Qatar’s food sector by innovating and developing more local products that would address these issues,” she said. Aside from developing local products, al-Dorani pointed out that there are also opportunities to help promote home-grown businesses. While most of the company’s raw materials are sourced outside Qatar, she said Raw Middle East makes sure to tap local farms first (depending on the season) to help them generate business.
“Qatar is very limited when it comes to its farm produce, especially with fruits, which is why we work with a supplier that helps and manages availability. We make sure our products are fresh hence we keep a low inventory so there’s minimal wastage.”
Raw Middle East managing partner Gabe Glennon added: “We try our best to source our raw materials from local farms first, mostly greens and root vegetables. While we get our products from outside the region, as much as we can, we really do try to keep this as a ‘green’ operation by recycling our pulp and bottles and buying from local farms.”
Al-Dorani also noted that aspiring entrepreneurs can also take advantage of the opportunities provided by agencies such as Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC).
“I believe organisations like QBIC and QDB have taken the extra mile to reach out to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which is why entrepreneurs should do their part by finding ways on how they could be part of these organisations so they can benefit from what they offer to small businesses and companies,” she stressed.
Al-Dorani added: “Young entrepreneurs often get discouraged from missed opportunities when they start the business on their own without the right help and support tools to kick-off their company correctly and successfully.
“They should conduct research on what Qatar has to offer and what the entrepreneurship scene is like in the country to avoid speed bumps. If they take that extra step to seek help and advice, they will find it.”