Qatar could serve as Portugal’s manufacturing hub in the Middle East, according to a Qatar Chamber official, who stressed that the country’s facilities and infrastructure are ripe for a wide range of foreign industries.
Speaking at a meeting held recently with a Portuguese business delegation, Qatar Chamber board member Ali Abdullatif al-Misnad invited manufacturing companies from Portugal to establish their bases in Qatar.
“Manufacturing industries from Portugal are welcome in Qatar because the country could be a very important hub for them to the Middle East. Qatar can provide a lot of facilities and ground for industries.
“For example, Portugal is a very important exporter of furniture so please consider making Qatar your business hub in the Middle East. It is very much encouraging and Qatar Chamber is very keen to help you establish here,” al-Misnad said.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the meeting, al-Misnad said as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030, the “government has setup full infrastructure to help international investors, particularly those in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
“The government’s thrust is to make Qatar the trading and industrial hub for GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and the Mena (Middle East and Africa) region, which is why international investors should take advantage of this,” he said. “Portugal’s GDP is particularly focused on industry and services. Portugal is not a close neighbour, but that doesn’t mean we cannot do business. We can do business by bringing their manufacturing industries to the country so they can make Qatar a hub for exporting their products to other countries.”
According to Dr Aida Bouabdellah, secretary general and CEO of the Arab-Portugal Chamber of Commerce, major players in the textile, shoe, fibre optic cable, glass, cement, and construction materials sectors are among the Portuguese companies that can setup their presence in Qatar.
“There are a lot of major players willing to cooperate so we have to create the platforms and the ways that people can share information about the knowhow and what Portuguese companies are capable of doing.
“Both countries can benefit from each other and we know that Qatar is really a country that has a lot of opportunities, and gives a wide range of benefits to many Portuguese companies,” Bouabdellah said.
She added, “Qatar Chamber always has a strong relationship with our chamber, so we know that Qatar has real opportunities for Portuguese companies in a lot of fields. We know that has been developing to a great extent in a lot of sectors of activity.”