An exhibit booth of an Italian company that participated in a previous edition of the Project Qatar. This year’s event will see the participation of some 100 Italian firms, particularly in the field of building materials and interiors, said Palma Libotte, chairperson of the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
By Peter Alagos/Business Reporter
Italy is expected to have the biggest presence among European companies that will be participating in the 11th edition of Project Qatar in May, the chairperson of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar said.
“Project Qatar will see the participation of some 100 Italian companies, particularly in the field of building materials and interiors,” Palma Libotte told Gulf Times.
Poised as one of the biggest exhibitions for construction, sustainability, and building materials in the Middle East, Project Qatar is expected to gather at least 2,100 guests and companies from 50 countries in the event to be held from May 12 to 15 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
This year’s event, which is organised by IFP Qatar, is entitled “11th International Construction Technology & Building Materials Exhibition.”
In preparation for the event, Libotte said the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar will be meeting with a group of entrepreneurs for a technical workshop on March 14 to orient them on the business practices of Qatari companies.
“The workshop will be very useful since many Italian companies are joining Project Qatar,” said Libotte, who said that the workshop will be held at the Qatar Chamber.
She added that the Italian chamber will be providing Italian companies guidelines on Qatar’s major projects on infrastructure, transportation, sewage system, and tourism, specifically those related to the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
“Among the main goals of this meeting is to encourage these investors to set their objectives on these projects,” Libotte stressed.
After the technical workshop, Libotte said the chamber will be having sessions with Qatari entrepreneurs from the aforementioned sectors to orient them on how Italian companies implement their business strategies.
The chamber’s approach and orientation programmes reflect the objectives of Project Qatar, which aims to provide companies with “a strong business-to-business matchmaking platform to connect with the industry’s leading partners.” Libotte stressed that while Qatar offers a variety of business opportunities, Italian companies are encouraged to focus only on select sectors, mainly in the engineering, architecture, waste management, and construction industry.
She claimed that Italy’s top engineering companies are sought after in Qatar. Italian companies are also the leading suppliers of architecture, furniture, building materials, interiors, and other high-end luxury items in Qatar, Libotte said.
“The ‘Made in Italy’ mark has gotten a further boost [in Qatar] because of high market awareness,” she added.
In terms of high-end interior products, Libotte said Italy has the highest percentage of products in Qatari homes due to its huge demand in the market.
