Qatar and Portugal have “many opportunities” to exchange experience in the field of health, particularly in medical tourism and retirement in the elderly population, an official of the Portuguese Business Council (PBC) in Qatar has said.
PBC chairman Carlos Bernardino said there are already private investments catering to the needs of the elderly in Portugal. He said Portugal is also working with companies in the US and Spain, as well as countries in South America and Africa to develop its retirement industry.
“We are also taking a lot of ‘assisted residents’ or the elderly from Central Europe like Germany, France, and Belgium, who are enjoying their retirement in Portugal, which is offering many benefits and tax advantages, Bernardino emphasised.
However, Bernardino said Portugal could also tap the Middle East and Gulf markets to expand its medical tourism and retirement industry. “The Portuguese Business Council can bridge the gap between Qatari investors and Portuguese companies specialising in this field by using our network of contacts.”
Networking and business matchmaking, according to Bernardino, “is one of the ongoing initiatives of the PBC.” “We are here to open the channels between Portuguese companies and their Qatari counterparts, and we will support and advise them and connect them to the right companies in Qatar.”
Aside from health, Bernardino said investors from Qatar and Portugal have “many opportunities” in the fields of food, textile, shoes, IT, renewable energy and sustainable development, construction, and other industries.
“In the primary sector, Portugal has high-quality food products that could play a role in Qatar’s food security programme and other similar initiatives,” Bernardino pointed out.
He added: “We are not competing in terms of quantity but rather in quality because Portugal is a small country. We are very strong in the area of gourmet products, which can definitely compete with other countries.
“Portugal can make some investments for our products in Qatar, which can complement Qatar’s plan on sustainability and food security. Portuguese companies are very open to investments in this field, including agriculture and fishing products.
Spanning two decades, Portugal’s track record in the field of textile and the shoe industry also makes it a viable partner for Qatari investors, Bernardino said.
“By infusing Qatari investments in these industries, it makes it possible for Portuguese small and medium companies to expand and establish branches in Qatar. 
From Qatar, these companies can open up to other markets in the region and in Asia,” he said.