Qatar participated in the annual reception organised by the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW) in the German capital, Berlin.
Qatar's delegation was headed by the Assistant Undersecretary for Commerce Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saleh bin Majed Al Khulaifi.
A statement by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) said today that this participation is due to both sides' keenness to consolidate their strategic partnership and join efforts to encourage and develop cooperation between the business sectors in Qatar and Germany.
During his speech, HE Assistant Undersecretary for Commerce Affairs praised the close relations between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Germany, noting the State of Qatar's successful participation in the international industrial fair Hannover Messe last year: constituting an important step in the historical Qatari-German partnership.
Al Khulaifi indicated that the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to USD 1.8 billion in 2022.
He stated that German companies operating in Qatar, amounting to 323 companies, play an important role in supporting the country's comprehensive development process, with the Federal Republic of Germany being one of the State of Qatar's most important investment destinations, stressing that Qatar developed several strategies to diversify its national economy away from oil and gas, directing the private sector towards investing in non-oil activities and sectors, such as renewable energy, technology, small and medium industries, and infrastructure, as well as attracting foreign direct investment, and localizing industries that enable Qatar to become self-sufficient and enhances its economy's resilience and strength.
Al Khulaifi explained that these efforts reflected positively on the local economy's growth rates, pointing to the World Bank's latest report on the Qatari economy has grown by about 4 percent last year, in light of the country's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in addition to Qatar's move towards supporting foreign investments, which will contribute to strengthening Qatar's position as an important financial and investment center in the region and the world.
In conclusion, HE Assistant Undersecretary for Commerce Affairs expressed his aspiration to explore innovative ways to maintain what was achieved and to face current and future challenges, by activating the joint work of the public and private sectors in both countries, establishing better communication between the business and investor communities of Qatar and Germany, and raising the volume of bilateral commercial and tourism exchange.
For his part, BVMW CEO Markus Jerger indicated that the State of Qatar is participating for the first time in the future day for Small and Medium Enterprises with participants, expressing his special welcome to Qatar's delegation from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Qatar Investment Authority, and the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar and expressing his belief that this event will be a good opportunity to enhance communication between small and medium-sized companies from both countries.
Jerger added that it will be a pleasure to open a BVMW office for the GCC countries based in Doha.
