The Embassy of Portugal set up a stall at the Made in Qatar Exhibition at Doha Exhibition and Convention Cetre in co-operation with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Portuguese companies that are already established in Qatar showcased their items at the stall and attracted multiple visitors and companies.
His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani inaugurated the fifth edition of the four-day-long exhibition on December 14. Well-known Qatari companies and embassies of different countries had set up stalls at the exhibition where an influx of visitors was seen during the four days.
The stall set up by the Embassy of Portugal remained conspicuous for having classic suiting brands. People with a taste of classic European suiting had their eyes on the brands from Portugal and got maximum information about them from the company representatives present there.
Talking to Community, Daniel Pontes, economic and commercial counsellor with the embassy, said, “We, like other embassies, have set up the stall after getting invitation from the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We appreciate the Government of Qatar for providing this opportunity to the embassy and the Portuguese companies to showcase their brands and encourage other companies to start their businesses here.”
The commercial counsellor further said, “It was a visionary [move] by the Qatari government to have the exhibition. The platform served as an opportunity for Portuguese companies to have a closer look at the Qatari market. Many Portuguese companies are trying to enter the Qatari market. After we got an invitation from the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we contacted many Portuguese companies already working in Qatar and in Portugal. Many companies responded to our call positively.”
He quoted António Tânger, Ambassador of Portugal to Qatar, as saying, “We considered it very important to participate and it demonstrates the excellent relations between Portugal and Qatar. It also shows the thriving business ambiance in Qatar.”
He added, “The Portuguese stand was very busy. We had lots of Qatari people taking interest in products from Portugal. They were interested in products like foodstuff and textiles. Prominent among the companies that showcased their products were Giovanni Galli, Sacoor Brothers, Parfois, and Nova Arroz.”
Majed Yousef al-Moqdad, a manager with Giovanni Galli outlet at Landmark and present at the stall, told Community, “The brand has been present in Doha since April 2011. We have been using Italian fabrics for our products. We have classic and smart casual wear and accessories. We also have the biggest ties collection in Qatar with over 2,500 ties in the shop having different colours and patterns. Our collection is very nice, elegant, and suitable for all ages. We also provide staff uniforms for companies and some of the most prominent companies are our clients. We have good experience, quality, and good prices with our high-level services.”
Talking about the exhibition, he said, “It was a very good experience. It was rather an opportunity for us to make new clients. We are thankful to the Embassy of Portugal for inviting our company to showcase our products. We had our catalogues available at the stall and also samples.”
Regarding the response from the visitors, he said, “I think our show was successful. Many people visited our store after having a look at our products at the embassy’s stall. We got two more companies that have shown interest in buying uniforms for their staff from us. I think it was a very good and smart idea of the Government of Qatar to have the exhibition. The platform provided an opportunity to local companies to introduce their products to people visiting from different countries and foreign companies got a chance to exhibit their products for the local market.”
TOGETHER: The staff that manned the stall during the exhibition.
