More than 40 Japanese firms met with their Qatari counterparts at Qatar Chamber yesterday to discuss ways to increase foreign direct investment and promote trade between the two countries.
The delegation, led by Japanese External Trade Organisation (Jetro Dubai) managing director Masami Ando, was accompanied by Japanese ambassador Seiichi Otsuka. They were welcomed by Qatar Chamber vice-chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari.
Jetro Dubai is a government institution founded in 1981 to promote economic relations between Japan and the Gulf Arab states, and to cooperate and assist interested companies in entering or expanding their business in the Japanese market.
Figures provided by Qatar Chamber showed that Qatar-Japan total trade volume in 2015 stood at $18.1bn. According to al-Kuwari, trade and economic relations between the two countries “remain distinct at all levels,” and that Qatari investments in Japan “are witnessing an increase every year.”
Qatar’s imports from Japan ($2.12bn in 2015) include vehicles, cars, rolling stock and their parts; tools and equipment; electrical machinery and equipment; optical photographic cinema graphic; and iron and steel.
Major Qatari exports to Japan ($15.98bn in 2015) include mineral fuel, mineral, oil and products; and salt, sulphur, earth and stones, plastering material, lime, and cement.
“The level of bilateral cooperation and development of close relations between the state of Qatar and Japan is rapidly growing. It includes, in addition to gas and energy, a large number of economic and trade fields.
“Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1972, Japan and Qatar have developed strong ties at all sectors. Over the past three decades, Qatar has become one of Japan’s most important Middle Eastern partners, while Japan is at the top of Qatar’s economic partners. Now, Japan is Qatar’s largest trading partner and Qatar is Japan’s sixth largest source of imports,” al-Kuwari said.
Ando said the Japanese delegation comprise of companies from various sectors, including travel and tourism, construction, building materials, textiles, food, security and safety, mineral resources, IT, heavy machinery, chemicals, energy, furniture, and printing.
He said the visit aims to explore possible partnerships between Qatari and Japanese business enterprises, and to discuss areas of interest and mutual cooperation. The major companies in the delegation include Toto, Mitsubishi Plastics Asia Pacific, Fujitsu Technology Solutions, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Sharp Middle East, among others.
“We want to learn about the investment climate in the state of Qatar and the available investment opportunities in certain projects in the state, as well as discuss the strengthening of cooperation between Jetro and Qatar Chamber,” Ando said.
For his part, Otsuka extended the support of the Japanese embassy in Qatar “to any activity that would contribute to increasing trade and partnerships between the private sectors of the two countries.”
Qatar Chamber vice-chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari (centre) is flanked by Jetro Dubai managing director Masami Ando (left) and Japanese ambassador Seiichi Otsuka during a business meeting at the chamber’s headquarters. PICTURE: Jayan Orma
