Nasser Al Meer (middle), Board Member of Qatar Chamber, with other participants at the seminar.
BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB
DOHA: Small investments can make a big difference in Palestine which can help address the sordid realities on the ground that ordinary Palestinians have been grappling with, said a senior member of Palestinian Business Forum (PBF) at a seminar on “Investment opportunities in Qatar in the upcoming phase” hosted by PBF in collaboration with Qatar Chamber (QC) here yesterday.
“We can generate employment opportunities for Palestinians by outsourcing IT and IT-related jobs that do not necessarily require big physical presence in the country. This will not only help stop educated Palestinians leaving the country in search of jobs, but also improve the condition of crippling economy to grow and diversify,” said Mohamed Ghazal, CEO of PBF.
PBF has more than 1,000 members spread across 25 countries. It has many important objectives that include, providing platform for networking to enhance mutual cooperation, and encouraging businessmen of Palestinian origin to invest in Palestine and friendly countries such as Qatar to generate employment opportunities. “Qatar has given the Palestinian cause more support than any other country and it has always supported the Palestinian people,” Ghazal said.
Given the ground realities as a result of the ongoing Palestine-Israeli conflict, high rate of migration is one of the biggest challenges the country has been facing since the inception of “Israeli aggression”. The actual number of expatriate Palestinian community is 25 million, according to Ghazal, which is much higher than the official statistics of 11 million.
In addition to migration, high rate of unemployment is also a big problem in Palestine. Nearly 17 percent (2010) of its labour force remain unemployed throughout the year. Cement production, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings and food processing are some of the main economic activities in the country with a GDP of about $6bn. Over 65 percent of its workforce (including Gaza and West Bank) are engaged in the services sector, while the industry and agriculture sector provide about 23 and 12 percent of employment, respectively.
Other speakers in the Seminar were Nasser Al Meer, Board Member QC, Dr Abdel Rahim Al Hurr and others. Al Meer said: Qatari economy is full of investment opportunities. We are ready to welcome investments by Palestinian companies with open arms. The QC will extend its full support and cooperation to facilitate investments for, both individual as well as partnership businesses.”
He noted that Qatar, after the adoption of business-friendly legislations, offering huge investment opportunities to local as well as foreign companies in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 as the country is preparing to host mega events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Al Meer also extended his appreciation for the achievements made by the Palestinian community in Qatar and their contribution to the economy. He said that relations between Qatar and Palestine are strong and deep-rooted. In his concluding remarks, Ghazal said that the PBF receives active support and cooperation from Islamic Development Bank, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other international organisations. It also enjoys good relations with business entities in 20 countries around the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.
The Peninsula
