QBA discuss investment opportunities between Qatar and Brazil

The Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) held a business dinner on Thursday in honour of several Brazilian ministers and officials accompanying Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the occasion of his visit to the country.
The meeting discussed investment opportunities, improving investment relations between the two countries, and enhancing efforts to develop economic and investment ties between Qatar and Brazil.
The meeting was attended by HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Abdullah al-Thani, Investment Promotion Agency Qatar CEO Sheikh Ali bin al-Waleed al-Thani, Brazil’s National Council president Rodrigo Bachero, and Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil Rui Costa.
They were joined by Fernando Haddad, Minister of Finance; Silvio Costa Filho, Minister of Ports and Airports; Carlos Favoro, Minister of Agriculture; Alexandre Silviara, Minister of Energy; Celso Luiz Nuñez Amorim, president of the National Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES).
Also present during the meeting were Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Shaibani, Qatar’s ambassador to Brazil, and his Brazilian counterpart, ambassador Marcelo Dantas.
QBA vice-chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani al-Thani and board of directors Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin Khaled al-Thani and Saud al-Mana also attended the meeting, along with QBA members Khaled al-Mannai, Nasser Suleiman Haider, Ashraf Abu Issa, Mohamed Moataz al-Khayyat, Nabil Abu Issa, Dr Mohamed Althaf, Youssef al-Mahmoud, Ihsan al-Khaimi, and Hakan Ozdemir, as well as QBA deputy director general Sarah Abdullah.
Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani led the chamber’s delegation comprising Dr Khalid bin Kalifikh al-Hajri and Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Hassan Abdullah al-Thani.
In his welcome speech, HE Sheikh Mohamed reviewed investment partnerships in energy, mining, agriculture, food industry, financial services, petrochemicals, logistics services, and real estate and ways to enhance them, as well as opportunities to increase investments by Qatari and Brazilian companies in both countries.
Sheikh Khalid underscored the importance of co-operation between Qatar and Brazil, saying bilateral trade exceeded $1bn. About 28 Brazilian companies are operating in Qatar in co-operation with Qatari investors, he said, highlighting the need to strengthen Investment co-operation between the two countries due to the great opportunities currently available, especially in Qatar.
Sheikh Nawaf emphasised the importance of maximising the opportunities available in areas of common interest and contributing to providing support and facilities to investors to develop investments between the two countries.
The meeting also focused on the strength of Qatar-Brazil relations at all levels, especially economic and commercial, since there are many high-quality Brazilian products in the Qatari market.
Brazil and Qatar have distinguished relations at all levels, especially in the trade and economic sectors. Qatar is considered an attractive investment destination and is the third country in terms of trade exchange between Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries and Brazil.
The volume of trade exchange between the two countries has witnessed remarkable growth, especially concerning food and agricultural materials, poultry, meat, and other products, he said.