The Rt Hon Lord Jonathan Marland, chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), underscored the importance of strengthening trade, investment, and enterprise collaboration across Commonwealth markets during his visit to the LuLu Group Doha headquarters Monday.
The engagement reflects CWEIC’s growing partnership with the private sector in the Gulf region and its role in fostering resilience and long-term growth in an evolving global economy.
Welcoming Lord Marland and Professor Asif Chaudry, Dr Mohamed Althaf, Advisory Council member of CWEIC, highlighted the value of the council’s role in today’s global environment. He noted that LuLu Group, a proud member of CWEIC, has benefitted significantly from its association with the council through access to senior business leaders and government stakeholders across multiple markets.
“The Commonwealth provides a rare and valuable platform in today’s increasingly fragmented geo-economic environment. It offers stability, predictability, and trust, supported by a healthy mix of countries — large and small, developed and emerging. This balance makes CWEIC a highly effective forum for long-term collaboration,” said Dr Althaf.
Speaking at a press conference held at the LuLu Group office, Lord Marland said: “We have a new world order as a result of steps that have been taken by the US, which is bringing trading groups closer together.”
Lord Marland also said, “Our Commonwealth organisation represents 56 countries, a third of the world’s population. Sixty percent of that population are under 30, while 70% of the African population are under 30.
“The Commonwealth is being inundated with requests for opportunities, requests to build new relationships. We have 14 offices around the world now, so that companies wanting to enter into a new Commonwealth country have reliable, supportive mechanisms with which to do so.”
During the visit, discussions focused on trade resilience, food security, supply chains, and the role of private enterprise in supporting sustainable growth across Commonwealth economies. Particular emphasis was placed on the relevance of strong public-private partnerships in regions such as Qatar and the wider GCC.
Dr Althaf also encouraged Qatari companies to consider engaging with CWEIC, highlighting the council’s role in facilitating meaningful cross-border partnerships and investment opportunities.
Lord Marland’s visit to LuLu Group underscores the importance of practical collaboration between global enterprises and institutional platforms, such as CWEIC in addressing shared economic challenges and unlocking future growth.
“This is a very valuable visit. There is no reason why Qatar as a nation can't be members of our organisation. Even though they're not a Commonwealth country, they can be members of our business organisation. And we want to encourage a deeper relationship with that.”
