HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani has stressed that Qatar’s ‘economic roadshow’ in the US, which features economic forums, business-to business meetings and sectorial roundtable discussions and exhibitions to highlight economic and cultural partnerships with key American cities, is designed to further promote bilateral ties and partnerships between the two countries.
He made the observation at the Qatar-US Economic Forum in Raleigh, North Carolina, organised by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in co-operation with Qatar Chamber, US Chamber of Commerce, Qatari Businessmen Association and the US-Qatar Business Council.
HE Sheikh Ahmed chaired the forum, which brought together Ambassador Anne Patterson, president of the US-Qatar Business Council and a large number of businesspersons, officials and CEOs of major companies from both the countries.
In his opening speech, he noted that the international trade and investment form is a key part of Qatar’s efforts to promote future growth and diversification, adding that the US is one of Qatar’s most valued and largest global partners, with a trade volume that reached $24bn in the past five years.
The US is also Qatar’s first destination for imports, he said, noting that 16% of Qatar’s imports came from the US in 2017. He also highlighted that financial transactions from Qatar to the US reached $26.5bn in 2017 alone, including business profit, salaries and payments. 
Touching on Qatari investments in the US, HE Sheikh Ahmed said Qatar Airways alone provided a $92bn boost to the US economy through the purchase of 332 American aircraft — a deal that supports more than 527,000 jobs. He added that $146bn worth of exports and orders to Qatar have generated 1mn American jobs that depend on doing business with Qatar.
On a related note, he shed light on the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which pledged to invest $45bn for the period stretching from 2015 to 2020. Of that, $10bn will be channeled into the infrastructure sector, he said, noting that these investments represent 23% of Qatar’s GDP.
Touching on the oil and gas sector, HE the Minister said Qatar Petroleum has allocated $10bn worth of investments in a LNG plant in Texas, noting that this project would provide 45,000 jobs over the life of the station.
Highlighting investments by the private sector, HE Sheikh Ahmed said private companies have heavily invested in the US economy, with more than $5bn in the fields of technology, hospitality, real estate and retail, which contributed to bolstering the US economy.
He also pointed out that Qatar spent around $200mn on medical and healthcare for its citizens in 2017, while more 1,200 Qatari students are studying at universities in the US.
He touched on the measures that Qatar has taken to overcome the unjust siege imposed on the country since June 5 last year, which was aimed at undermining its position as an independent economic and sovereign state.
Qatar has emerged stronger and more independent than ever before, HE the Minister stressed, noting that the illegal blockade has presented an opportunity for Qatar to cement its trade relations with countries worldwide, particularly the US, and make its economy more accessible to the world.
He added that Qatar has successfully established direct commercial routes with a number of strategic hubs around the world, diverting trade to its major trading partners.
HE the Minister explained that Qatar has sought to mobilise its signed regional agreements with Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Azerbaijan and Central Asia to expand its trade activities by establishing a sea fleet that connects Qatar with its major trading partners in the world, targeting a market of 400mn population in its first stage.
Qatar’s economy maintained its positive growth rates during the past year, confirming that the country was unaffected by the blockade, he said.
For her part, ambassador Patterson said the forum in Raleigh aims at showcasing investment opportunities across various sectors to businessmen in North Carolina.
She explained that the goal of the economic forum in Raleigh is to explore investment opportunities in both the countries, particularly Qatar, which seeks partnerships with US businesses across different sectors.