24-09-2029
In the presence of H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, the Chamber recently hosted its regular meeting with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), attended by a number of local manufacturers and exporters.
Discussions at the meeting focused on addressing the challenges facing the industrial and export sectors, identifying appropriate solutions, and exploring ways to enhance the competitiveness of national products and support industrialists and exporters.
The meeting was chaired on behalf of QDB by Abdulrahman bin Hisham Al-Suwaidi, CEO of Qatar Development Bank, in the presence of several executive directors from various sectors.
Also present were H.E. Rashid bin Hamad Al Athba, Second Vice Chairman of Qatar Chamber; Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Ansari, Qatar Chamber Board Member and Chairman of the Industry Committee; and several Qatar Chamber Board Members.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim said that the meeting comes at a critical and challenging time that requires greater coordination among all relevant stakeholders. He praised QDB’s vital role in supporting the Qatari economy through financing, supporting innovation and entrepreneurs, developing the business environment, and enabling national factories and enterprises to expand their operations and enhance their competitiveness in international markets.
“Qatar Chamber remains committed to addressing the challenges facing factories, industrial companies and exporters by finding practical, swift and sustainable solutions,” Sheikh Khalifa said.
He stressed the importance of cooperation with the Bank to turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and expansion, enhance the efficiency of national companies, promote value-added industries, support the industrial sector, expand the industrial export base, access regional and international markets, and facilitate the establishment of new projects.
For his part, Abdulrahman Al-Suwaidi said that the meeting aligns with QDB’s commitment to identifying the needs of private-sector companies and gathering their views in light of the current challenges. He noted that this enables the Bank to capture market realities, anticipate challenges, and design proactive, data-driven interventions to address any potential difficulties that companies may face, while also capitalising on emerging market opportunities.
Al-Suwaidi added: “At QDB, in partnership with Qatar Chamber and national stakeholders, we are committed to identifying the challenges facing the private sector and working to develop appropriate solutions. During the year, we launched an integrated package of services in response to the current circumstances through a dedicated operations room. These measures aim to support supply chains and finance raw material inventories for factories, in addition to providing a financial grant to support the import of products and logistical requirements for national factories.
“Furthermore, our support package includes working capital support programmes for industrial and service sectors, specialised advisory services, and the proactive rescheduling of credit facilities granted to companies, to provide the liquidity needed to grow businesses and enhance productivity.”
Al-Suwaidi noted that the value of support provided since the onset of regional tensions has exceeded QAR 1.1 billion, representing a 160% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Nearly half of this support was delivered through Qatar Development Bank’s Operations Room programmes.
He also noted that the Bank had conducted an in-depth analysis of the export sectors, which showed the positive performance of exporters working with Qatar Exports, a Qatar Development Bank entity. Despite the challenges, exporters succeeded in opening new markets and rapidly reshaping their export routes.
Al-Suwaidi also stressed the importance of the private sector being aware of and making use of the services provided by the Bank, including financing and export insurance, as well as promoting these services through participation in international exhibitions and trade missions. He also highlighted the importance of capacity-building through the Export Accelerator and specialised workshops to enable national factories and companies to access targeted markets.
For his part, Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Ansari, Qatar Chamber Board Member and Chairman of the Industry Committee, said that the Chamber recognises the scale of the challenges facing the private sector and has played a significant role in addressing obstacles facing companies and factories.
He stressed the importance of supporting exports, particularly given the high quality and strong competitiveness of Qatari products.
During the meeting, exporters and participants highlighted several challenges they face and put forward solutions and recommendations for discussion between Qatar Chamber, QDB and the relevant authorities. These included higher raw material prices and logistics costs, the need to develop legislation and regulations governing the business environment, as well as other challenges related to the industrial sector and export operations.
