Qatar Chamber officials held meetings in Islamabad with representatives of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry with a view to underpinning trade relations between both countries, according to a statement issued by the Chamber.
Meetings focused on enhancing cooperation in economic and trade sectors including construction, building materials, foodstuffs, textiles and furniture.
The Chamber’s delegation included Board Member Rashid bin Hamad Al Athba and Director general Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi. 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 also held a meeting with the Qatari delegation to discuss ways of boosting bilateral relations particularly in private sector sectors. He praised the Qatari businessmen’s confidence in Pakistan’s economy, hoping this meeting would help expand cooperation and establishing real ventures.
Al Athba said that Qatar’s delegation invited their 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.
Saleh 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. Trade with Pakistan is growing rapidly. Trade volume reached last year QR2.8bn, while it was QR1.9bn in 2014 and QR887m in 2015, Al Sharqi said.
Qatar’s exports to Pakistan in 2016 touched QR2.5bn, whereas Pakistan’s imports to Qatar were only QR317.7m.
17 July
The Peninsula Qatar
