16/7/2017
Qatar Chamber (QC) officials held business meetings with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry to enhance trade relations between both countries in Islamabad recently.
The meetings which are being convened from 11th -14th July focused on boosting cooperation ties between both countries in the economic and trade sectors including construction, building materials, foodstuffs, textiles and furniture, a QC press release said on Saturday.
The Chamber’s delegation included the board member Rashid bin Hamad al-Athba and its director general Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi.
For his part, QC’s board member al-Athba said Qatar’s delegation has invited Pakistani counterparts to visit Qatar in order to explore investment opportunities and fields that both side could cooperate in.
“The invitation is highly welcomed by Pakistan and there is a large businessman delegation expected to visit Qatar soon,” he noted.
QC Director General Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi assured the chamber’s interest to open new channels of trade cooperation with all friendly and sisterly countries and to find new sources of importing.
He pointed out that there is a large trade exchange between Qatar and Pakistan, adding that the chamber has sought with Islamabad Chamber to increase Qatar’s imports from Pakistan, especially food items and building materials .
“Trade with Pakistan is growing rapidly. Trade volume reached QR2.8 billion last year, while it was QR1.9 billion in 2014 and QR887 million in 2015,”al-Sharqi said.
Qatar’s exports to Pakistan in 2016 touched QR2.5 billion, whereas Pakistan’s imports to Qatar were only QR317.7 million.
Qatari delegation held several meetings with Pakistani officials, businessmen and presidents of chambers. They reviewed partnership opportunities and mechanisms of exchanging expertise between Qatari and Pakistani companies.
Businessmen of both sides discussed establishing joint factories in Qatar which would help provide all commodities to the local market and exporting abroad the surplus.
Pakistan’s minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan held a meeting with the Qatari delegation to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral relations particularly in private sector sectors.
Khan welcomed the delegation, affirming that the visit significantly reflected the strong ties both countries have. He praised the Qatari businessmen’s confidence in Pakistan’s economy, hoping this meeting would help expand cooperation and establishing real ventures.
