The Saudi Chambers in Riyadh organized the Saudi-Qatari Business Forum today, attended by the Minister of Commerce, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, and the Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, along with the President of the Qatar Chamber, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, the President of the Saudi Chambers Federation, Hassan bin Muajab Al-Huwaizi, and a number of officials and investors from both countries, with the participation of more than 300 investors from both countries.
Dr. Al-Qasabi emphasized in his speech that Saudi Arabia and Qatar enjoy high investment opportunities, with a clear desire from the private sector to invest and benefit from these opportunities. He confirmed that the volume of trade reached approximately 4.6 billion riyals by the end of 2024, with the Kingdom being Qatar’s top trading partner. The strategic aspirations of the leaders of both countries encourage cooperation in important and promising areas, looking forward to increasing the benefits of this forum in elevating relations to another level that reflects the economic status of both brotherly countries.
On the Qatari side, the Minister of State for Foreign Trade stated that there is significant alignment between Qatar’s Vision 2030 and Saudi Vision 2030 in various fields such as human development, industry, logistics services, and renewable energy. This presents promising opportunities for the private sector, as both countries aim to empower the private sector to lead their economies, enhancing economic integration between the two nations. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are attracting attention from local and international investors due to advantages like the investment environment and ease of doing business, aiming to increase trade volume and investments.
The President of the Saudi Chambers Federation highlighted the importance of enhancing integration between the two countries as a key pillar for achieving sustainable development, emphasizing the promising elements of both nations to strengthen integration and exchange expertise in economic fields. He stressed the significance of cooperation in marketing business and investment opportunities, organizing joint economic events.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, President of the Qatar Chamber, described the forum as a significant economic event that reflects the fraternal relations between the two countries, responding to the business community’s desire to strengthen economic ties. He emphasized that the major global events hosted by our countries provide opportunities for the private sector to benefit from them, especially with our countries possessing qualitative experiences in these events.
From the Qatari side, the Saudi-Qatari Business Council’s President stated that the forum aimed towards fruitful economic integration, believing in significant opportunities for integration between the Saudi and Qatari private sectors. The forum serves as an opportunity to discuss investment opportunities and exchange information on areas of cooperation, outlining the council’s efforts in aligning Saudi Vision 2030 and Qatar Vision 2030 to identify opportunities for enhancing economic relations and achieving various accomplishments in trade exchanges, increasing investments and supporting economic agreements.
The Saudi-Qatari forum included a dialogue session titled “Towards Fruitful Economic Integration,” addressing the role of the Saudi Standards Organization in supporting economic integration between the Kingdom and Qatar, supporting initiatives for integration, the importance of Qatar’s Export Office in the Kingdom, services provided to the private sector, the role of the General Authority for Food and Drug in boosting integration between the two brotherly countries, and the possibilities offered by Qatar’s Free Economic Zones Authority for Saudi entrepreneurs, in addition to shedding light on initiatives by the General Authority for Real Estate Regulation in Qatar that support economic integration between the two nations.
The second session, titled “Promising Investment Opportunities” in the Kingdom and Qatar, featured presentations from relevant entities in both friendly countries, including the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Qatari Ministry of Transport, Aseer Region Development Authority, Economic Cities Authority, and Knowledge Economic City, highlighting opportunities available and introducing sectors to potential benefits offered by relevant government entities.
