Qatar Chamber board member Ibtihaj al-Ahmadani has called on American companies to expand their footprint outside of the US by investing in Qatar.
Al-Ahmadani made the statement during the private sector event on the sidelines of the ‘US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue 2023’ held Monday in Doha.
The event was attended by Sultan bin Rashid al-Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Dilawar Syed, US State Department Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs.
Al-Ahmadai also called on US companies to maximise the incentives being offered by the state to foreign investors. She encouraged businessmen from both countries to enhance their cooperation by establishing commercial partnerships and alliances, whether in Qatar or in the US for the benefit of both economies.
In a speech, al-Ahmadani lauded the “deep relations and close partnerships” shared by Qatar and the US “in all fields,” especially in the economic and commercial fields.
She said the US is “one of Qatar’s most valued and largest global partners,” citing a total bilateral trade volume of $5bn in 2021. She said the value was estimated at $4.5bn in the first nine months of 2022.
On mutual investments, al-Ahmadani said there are more than 400 US companies operating in Qatar in various sectors that are registered with the Qatar Chamber. These include 40 companies with 100% American capital, while the rest are Qatari-American partnerships.
She pointed out that noting there are many successful Qatari investments in the US across different industries, especially in the real estate, hospitality, and infrastructure sectors.
Underscoring Qatar’s attractive investment climate, al-Ahmadani said the country’s political stability, state-of-the-art infrastructure, stable currency, and low corporate tax rates have stimulated foreign investment inflow.
She also stressed that Qatar Chamber highly supports and encourages enhancing cooperation relations between the Qatari private sector and its US counterpart, especially beyond Qatar’s remarkable success in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup and in line with the efforts to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030.