Over 450 procurement opportunities worth more than QR3bn from government and semi-government agencies will be made available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar within the year, a Qatar Development Bank (QDB) official has said.

Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa, chief executive officer of QDB, made the statement on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the ‘1st Government Procurement and Contracting Conference & Exhibition (Moushtarayat)’ held yesterday at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).

This was underscored in a speech by HE the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, who lauded QDB saying the bank has launched a ‘single window’ that provides SMEs ‘all the procedures and requirements under one roof.’

‘This service achieved a great success and contributed to placing the bank in the top 10 of development banks in the world according to the classification of the World Trade Organisation 2015,’ he said.

Sheikh Abdullah, who is also QDB chairman, pointed out that the bank has developed, diversified, and upgraded its products and services, including direct financing, which exceeded QR4.3bn, ‘Al Dhameen’ programme (more than QR800mn), and ‘Tasdeer’ programme (more than QR600mn).

‘All these services have facilitated the access of small and medium enterprises to the funds they need,’ he said.

Al-Khalifa explained that ‘Moushtarayat’ aims to open new opportunities for interaction between local SMEs and stakeholders, in addition to strengthening co-operation between the private and public sector companies in Qatar.

‘This event creates a platform for matchmaking between SMEs and government and semi-government procurement requirements. Through this platform, QDB can explain the requirements and needs of these agencies, and match them with SMEs that can supply that particular demand.

‘QDB will also provide SMEs assistance in terms financial, technical, and advisory support to ensure that these companies are able to meet that demand,’ al-Khalifa told Gulf Times.

The QDB official also stressed that SMEs and other entrepreneurs must be registered with the Ministry of Finance’s e-Procurement platform, a consolidated website where bidders can apply tenders online. The website contains all government tenders from more than 120 government entities.

Al-Khalifa stressed that Law No 24 of 2015 (a law regulating tenders and auctions), issued in December by HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, allows QDB to exempt SMEs from prerequisites like advanced payment guarantees and bid bonds or performance bonds.

In his opening speech, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani said Law No 24 of 2015 ‘is a clear sign of supporting small and medium enterprises sector in Qatar.’

‘HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has shown landmarks of the contribution and the role of the private sector to overcome challenges and move forward towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030, and a comprehensive and sustainable development at various levels.

‘The most important requirements of this stage are providing ideas and creative solutions and not to compete with the private sector, but to strengthen its role and increase its contribution to the development wheel,’ the Prime Minister said.