Doha, Qatar: Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, Deputy Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA), hosted a luncheon in honor of H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of the Sultanate of Oman, and his accompanying delegation. They were welcomed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of the QBA, in the presence of several QBA members.
The attendees from the QBA included Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QBA Chairman, Dr. Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, Deputy Chairman, Board Members Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani and Saud Al Mana, as well as QBA members Ibrahim Jaidah, Ashraf Abu Issa, Faisal Al Mana, Nabil Abu Issa, Maqbool Habib Khalfan, Yousef Al Mahmoud, Mohammed Altaf, and Sarah Abdallah QBA Deputy General Manager.
The meeting, held at the majlis of Sheikh Dr. Khalid, discussed bilateral cooperation, especially in commercial, economic, and investment sectors, as well as the role of the private sector in boosting mutual trade and joint investments.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani welcomed the Omani delegation, noting that the brotherly relations between the two countries serve as a distinguished model within the GCC. He highlighted the increase in reciprocal visits aimed at strengthening economic partnerships between Doha and Muscat.
Sheikh Faisal also proposed the formation of a joint technical committee, to study potential investment opportunities in various developmental projects across Oman — whether in industries, tourism, the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, or others. This committee would aim to identify clear projects for both sides, paving the way for meaningful investments in agreed sectors.
The "Invest Oman" authority, affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, presented investment opportunities to Qatari investors in diverse sectors such as fisheries, food and pharmaceutical industries, manufacturing, technology, mining, renewable energy, tourism, and agriculture.
Private Sector Participation
Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, QBA Deputy Chairman emphasized the strength of the brotherly ties between Qatar and Oman, describing them as a model of constructive cooperation.
He affirmed the commitment of both leaderships to deepening strategic ties, especially economically, based on the belief that these partnerships significantly contribute to the countries' development visions through active involvement of the private sector — the cornerstone of a successful economy.
He further stated that Oman is an important economic and trade partner for Qatar, highlighting the recent visit of H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, to Oman, accompanied by a large delegation of businessmen.
This visit marked a step forward in advancing cooperation in strategic sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, food security, education, and logistics — all representing projects of mutual economic value.
Strengthening Economic Ties
For his part, H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Omani Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, thanked the Qatari Businessmen Association for hosting the Ministry's delegation and praised the bilateral relations between the two sides. He invited QBA members to visit Muscat to explore the various available investment opportunities.
Minister Al Yousef welcomed QBA’s proposal to form a joint technical committee under the supervision of his ministry, aimed at laying the necessary groundwork to turn ideas into real projects.
He stressed that building sustainable economic partnerships between the two countries is a strategic necessity and emphasized his ministry's commitment to intensifying efforts and communication to eliminate any challenges facing investors. He also praised the QBA’s positive role in supporting joint efforts to enhance economic and trade cooperation.
The Minister also praised Qatari investments in Oman and expressed Oman's desire to see more Qatari private sector investment.
Diverse Opportunities
The Omani side presented a detailed overview of investment opportunities across several sectors and outlined the incentives provided to foreign investors, along with key indicators and facilitations in the business environment.
They pointed out that Oman has 22 free and industrial economic zones offering significant investment opportunities in sectors such as logistics, food industries, tourism, mining, education, innovation, technology, healthcare, and more.
It is noteworthy that trade volume between the two countries grew by nearly 20% last year, reaching over 6.2 billion Qatari Riyals.
