Business & Money | Monday 27 April, 2015 3:07 pm |

“Invest in Qatar 2015” was inaugurated this morning. The Forum is organised by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Industry and the Economic Zones Company (Manateq), under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in the State of Qatar, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and with the participation of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) and the Federation of GCC Chambers (FGCCC). The Forum is held at the St. Regis Hotel in Doha on the 27th and 28th of April, 2015.
The opening ceremony began with the speech of keynote speaker HE Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry.

The opening ceremony started with the speech of keynote speaker HE Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry in which he thanked HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for his patronage of this Forum reflecting Qatar’s great interest in downstream industries. Qatar is indeed offering all means to boost this sector and create a suitable environment capable of attracting local, regional and foreign investments and advanced technologies in an internationally competitive open economy, in accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030.

HE Dr. Al-Sada said: “Under the wise leadership of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar is endeavouring to promote sustainable development as a key factor of development and advancement through private and public sector bodies, institutions and companies.”

““Invest in Qatar 2015” is yet another effort deployed by the Ministry of Energy and Industry to provide a variety of investment opportunities in order to contribute to the development of Qatar’s industrial sector by focusing on developing SMEs. The Ministry has collaborated with the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) to introduce investment opportunities in the areas of pharmaceuticals, food industries, green building materials, recycling, petrochemicals and aluminium, in addition to sector studies, notably in the cooling and chilling sectors, two promising industrial fields reinforcing Qatar’s competitiveness in the region and abroad”, the Minister added.

HE Dr. Al-Sada explained that when it comes to promoting investments in Qatar, the Ministry works on increasing the number and diversity of products, applying the one-stop shop to facilitate investment procedures to achieve sustainable development and to provide investment opportunities for Qatari, Gulf and foreign private sectors in Qatar.

“We expect that the huge prospects of Qatar’s economy will allow for these promising industrial investments to accomplish remarkable achievements in the few coming years. In fact, Qatar is witnessing a significant industrial growth in general, in addition to an outstanding construction boom with several megaprojects, particularly related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup”, he added.

HE the Minister stated: “Therefore, the Ministry of Energy and Industry will deploy all possible efforts to help SMEs and facilitate setting up new industrial projects that will contribute to the development of industrial investments in the country. Together with GOIC, Manateq, QDB and other major banks and corporations – notably the ones among us here today – we work in our respective fields to develop the industrial sector and lay the foundations of strong industries operating in new areas and develop their competitiveness.”

HE Dr. Al-Sada added: “We are gathered here today at Invest in Qatar 2015 Forum to offer broad opportunities for local, Gulf and foreign investments. We hope that they will enrich our expertise and move our economy forward towards more achievements meeting our country’s expectations and placing it high between advanced and developed countries.”

The Minister of Energy and Industry concluded by expressing his deepest gratitude to the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting for its remarkable efforts to organise this Forum. He also thanked all partners and sponsors for believing in the importance of developing Qatar’s industrial sector in particular, and Gulf industries in general, to meet countries’ expectations. He wished the Forum great success, hoping that it will achieve its objectives for the best of the industrial sector in Qatar.

Al-Ageel
The opening remarks were followed by the speech of HE Mr. Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al-Ageel, Secretary General of the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting. Mr. Al-Ageel thanked HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in the State of Qatar, for his patronage of Invest in Qatar 2015 Forum. He also thanked HE Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry for his presence at this key event.

Mr. Al-Ageel said: “Since its foundation four decades ago, the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) endeavoured to provide industrial investment opportunities through its Manufacturing Industrial Opportunities Program (MIOP), one of its most important programs that resulted in the execution of many projects out of more than 400 industrial investment opportunities.”
He stressed that GOIC carries out studies to identify opportunities that could be offered to investors and businessmen in GCC countries and Yemen based on its analysis of supply and demand, identification of developed technologies related to advanced industrial practices and introduction of value added products by using available resources in GCC countries. He explained that these investment opportunities are determined in close cooperation with private and public sector investors and continuous collaboration with state-of-the-art technology suppliers.
He said: “GOIC has prepared a number of investment opportunities to be introduced during “Invest in Qatar 2015” in the State of Qatar in promising industrial sectors, notably pharmaceuticals, food, green building materials, recycling, petrochemicals and aluminium. The total value of these investment opportunities is estimated at about 500 million Qatar Riyals (498.453). If implemented, these projects would create technical and administrative job opportunities for approximately 345 GCC citizens.” GOIC Secretary General added that GOIC experts will be more than ready to provide participants with any information regarding available investment opportunities prepared by the Organization, be it the ones to be introduced throughout the two days of the Forum or any other opportunity that can be prepared upon the request of any investor. “Our experts are also ready to answer all the questions of businessmen and investors during this Forum and after its conclusion”, he said.
Mr. Al-Ageel underlined that Qatar has worked to build a wide network of relations with countries throughout the globe to guarantee their contribution to industrial and construction projects to be executed in the few coming years. Therefore, efforts focused on supporting all endeavours aiming at creating further investment opportunities in new areas in the State of Qatar to promote its economic performance based on its many economic pillars. Thus, GOIC has worked to identify industrial opportunities in fields of advanced, new and high value added technologies. According to Mr. Al-Ageel, GOIC sees Invest in Qatar 2015 Forum as the cornerstone of activities supporting and promoting the industrial sector to reach the level of advanced industrial countries.
Analytical studies carried out by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting reveal that there are several promising opportunities capable of being a value added for Qatar’s economy and promoting the industrial sector in Qatar and throughout the Gulf.
These investment opportunities would be reflected through promising projects undertaken by Qatari, Gulf and foreign businessmen seeking new industrial fields to benefit from Qatar’s comparative advantages like the abundance of feedstock, export opportunities, encouraging profitability indicators and plans to create advanced industrial zones.
In light of GOIC’s cumulative expertise in preparing industrial studies and introducing industrial investment opportunities, the Organization can work on developing more investment opportunities and introducing them to the private sector in GCC countries. These opportunities are not limited to pharmaceuticals, food industries, green building materials, recycling, petrochemicals and aluminium, but they can be in various other fields. In preparing these industrial investment opportunities, GOIC is based on the GCC industrial roadmap that had determined promising industries at a regional level.
GOIC Secretary General concluded by expressing his deepest gratitude and appreciation to His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in the State of Qatar for his patronage of this Forum, and excellencies ministers of industry in GCC countries for their continuous and successful support of GOIC’s activities.
He also thanked HE Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry in the State of Qatar, excellencies GCC, Arab and foreign ambassadors for their presence and sponsoring companies and institutions for their valuable trust. He hoped that this Forum would kick-start a series of similar events for the best of Gulf industries and countries to achieve industrial integration in countries of the Arabian Gulf.

A Memorandum of Understanding between GOIC and Manateq
On the sidelines of the event, HE GOIC Secretary General Mr. Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al-Ageel representing the Organization and Manateq CEO Engineer Fahad Rashid Al-Kaabi on behalf of the Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding aiming at promoting cooperation in preparing industrial investment opportunities in the State of Qatar and marketing them locally, regionally and internationally.
This event was followed by honouring sponsors of the Forum and a tour of the special sponsors’ exhibition held in parallel with the Forum.

Why to invest in Qatar?
During the second session “Why to Invest in Qatar?” chaired by Mr. Abdul Rahim Hassan Al-Naqi, Secretary General of the Federation of GCC Chambers, Dr. Ali Hamed Al-Mulla, Assistant Secretary General for Industrial Projects Sector at GOIC delivered a comprehensive paper on the growth sectors in Qatari industries. Furthermore, Mr. Hamad Khamis Al-Kubaisi, Executive Director of Strategy and Business Development at Qatar Development Bank (QDB) delivered a paper on the Bank’s products and services and what the investors should know. Mr. Hamad Al-Naimi, Chief Operations Officer at Manateq, delivered a paper entitled “Manateq Projects – World-Class Infrastructure with Unparalleled Potential” while the presentation of Mr. Hamad Hassan Al-Jamali, Acting Assistant General Manager for SMEs at Qatar National Bank (QNB) was about the Bank’s financing mechanisms in support of SMEs.
This session was concluded with the presentation of Mr. Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Dulaimi, CEO of Gulf Petroleum Ltd. (GPL) entitled “Private Sector Opportunities and How to Overcome the Challenges”.

Investment opportunities in the aluminium sector
The third session “Aluminium Downstream Industries in Qatar – Unexploited Opportunities” was chaired by Dr. Ali Al-Mulla. During this session, Mr. Khalid Mohamed Sultan Laram, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Aluminium Limited (QSC) – QATALUM, introduced the Company’s products. Moreover, Mr. Yousef Al Yocoub, General Manager of Qatar Aluminium Extrusion Company, delivered a paper entitled “Non-traditional Aluminium Industry is Key for Exports to Competitive Markets” which included a section on aluminium industries in the automotive sector. In addition, Eng. Swapan Mandal, Engineering Consultant at GOIC delivered a presentation about two investment opportunities in aluminium industries.

Day two sessions
The Forum will continue tomorrow with the first workshop “Active Women Participation in Investments is a Necessity for GCC Economic Development” chaired by Dr. Sheikha Bint Jabor Al-Thani, Faculty Member of Qatar University. During this workshop, Dr. Hala Fahmi Jamal, Bahraini businesswoman, member of the businesswomen committee at Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Owner of EventsStarts Company and Amjco, will deliver a paper entitled “Empowering Women Role in Industry – Challenges and Success Stories”. Moreover, Sheikha Monura Bint Saud Al Thani, Member of the Executive Committee in Qatar Businesswomen Forum, will deliver a presentation on “The Role of Qatari Women in the Industrial Sector”. Dr. Laila Diab, Strategic Planning Consultant at GOIC Secretary General Office, will talk about industrial sectors in in which women investments excel. Furthermore, Eng. Najah AL-Mo’men, Business Development Consultant at GOIC, will introduce two industrial investment opportunities.
In addition to that, the Forum will include workshops entitled “Qatar Pharmaceutical Industry – A Much-Needed Industry”, “Qatar Petrochemical Industry – Is it the Right Time to Invest in Petrochemicals?” and “Waste Management and Recycling Industry – Investing in Clean Environment”. GOIC will introduce two industrial investment opportunities during each workshop.