Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is currently promoting 14 leading local companies at SIAL Paris, the international exhibition for participants in the food and beverage industry, which commenced on Sunday.
The five-day expo attracts key businessmen, decision-makers and investors in the agri-food industry from across the world. Through the support of its export arm, ‘Tasdeer’, QDB is showcasing domestic food and beverage industry at the nation’s designated marquee, the Qatar Pavilion.
SIAL is a global trade fair that connects professionals in the agri-food industry by facilitating the meeting of potential buyers and suppliers through exhibitions that take place in different cities.
“One of our key goals at QDB is to facilitate local companies by providing them with access to global markets — an example of this is the ongoing participation of Qatari companies in the current international exhibition, SIAL Paris. We aim to orchestrate our efforts in a way that will meaningfully advance the national development agenda and achieve economic diversification by promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar, as envisioned in Qatar National Vision 2030,” QDB chief executive Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said.
The decision to participate at SIAL Paris is in line with its strategic policy to open the doors of international trade for the local companies to enable them enter new markets and achieve further growth, he said.
“With our participation at the international food exhibition, SIAL, we hope to invigorate foreign trade and increase cooperation between national and foreign companies through opening new markets for local businesses,” according to Hassan Khalifa al-Mansoori, Tasdeer executive director.
It is expected that the current networking opportunity will result in several business agreements, further contributing to the growth of Qatar’s exports, he said, adding their success will eventually encourage the entry of many more local SMEs into the global corporate market.
QDB’s Tasdeer programme has contributed significantly to the development and promotion of Qatari export products to the global market through providing trade-related support for local businesses. In addition, it has created a system for the provision of credit guarantees for exports and services, which are designed to protect them against risks that are generally inherent in the global export trade.
The programme also facilitates the access of local companies to both the world’s emerging and established markets through a range of marketing and promotional services, such as international exhibitions and training workshops.