DOHA: The 9th edition of high-profile Qatar Investment and Business Forum will be held in Berlin, Germany on September 7. The Berlin edition of the annual forum, being held under the patronage of H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Interior Minister, will be attended by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, high government officials, businessmen and major company representatives from both countries.
The event is organised in collaboration with Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Committee for Organising Conferences, Qatari Businessmen Association and other stakeholders in Germany.
The forum is the premier economic promotional event organised by Qatar abroad in major economic capitals of the world including Paris, New York, Berlin and was hosted last year in the United Kingdom where it has achieved the targeted results both in terms of presence from both the Qatari and British sides and in terms of results and investment returns.
This year, the forum will shed light on several issues, most notably the prominent role played by the state of Qatar for its economic development, as well as highlighting the most important commercial, economic, investment and construction projects to be implemented in Qatar and Germany.
The forum will discuss a variety of current economic, trade and investment topics as well as construction projects including economic security and project financing; investment opportunities in both countries and joint partnerships, private to private sector cooperation, Qatar’s diversification projects; and the Road to World Cup 2022.
The latest edition of the forum is being held at a time when Qatar’s investments in Germany exceed €25bn and include vital projects in automotive, information technology and banking sectors, and a common desire to promote and develop mutual investments.
In recent years, trade relations between both countries have witnessed significant development, with both parties seeking to expand areas of mutual cooperation. This development is reflected in the increasing number of German companies operating in the Qatari market, which now amounts to more than 300 companies, according to the organisers.
The volume of trade has amounted to approximately €1.9bn, making Germany one of Qatar’s most important trading partners. Qatar’s outstanding investment activities in Germany have also furthered interest in extending bridges of long-term mutual cooperation at economic and financial levels.
Germany is also a key partner in achieving Qatar’s vision towards a technology-based economy. As part of its ambitious efforts to modernize the education sector, Qatar Science and Technology Park hired the German software giant, SAP, to play a significant role in training and rehabilitating Qatari youth.
While supplying key equipment, the project also transferred German knowledge and technology to develop specific programmes and applications in Qatar.
The forum, which enjoys wide participation of senior government officials and decision makers, in addition to the businessmen and representatives of the Public and private sectors, aims at further enhancing the Qatari – German bilateral relations in all areas, which will be discussed during the panel sessions that cover all economic sectors.
The forum is expecting around 300 attendees from Doha, including top public and private sector representatives.
