Bilateral economic co-operation between Qatar and the US figured in the talks West Virginia Governor Jim Justice had with HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani in West Virginia recently.
Justice hosted a working lunch in honour of Sheikh Ahmed and the accompanying delegation.
Sheikh Ahmed had met with a number of senior US officials to promote economic, trade and investment co-operation between Qatar and the US.
He held talks with Danny Jones, mayor of Charleston, West Virginia; Steve Roberts, president, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Senator Mitch Carmichael, president, West Virginia Senate; Craig Blair, chair, State Senate Finance Committee; Eric Nelson, chair, State House Finance Committee; Steve Roberts, team captain for Leadership and Transformation at West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and David Haden, chairman, Finance Audit and Facilities Planning Committee on the board of governors at Marshall University.
Discussions touched on efforts to bolster joint co-operation in the economic, trade and investment fields as well as opportunities to enhance bilateral trade in the light of economic potential and resources of both countries.
The meeting also touched on the “positive outcomes” of the first phase of ‘Qatar’s Economic Roadshow’ in the US in April.
During the meeting, Sheikh Ahmed highlighted the “incentives and legislative and administrative advantages” that Qatar offers to “stimulate and attract” investment, including a law regulating non-Qatari investments.
The law allows foreign investors 100% ownership across all sectors and commercial activities and facilitates the access of investors into the Qatari market. Sheikh Ahmed invited businessmen in West Virginia to visit Qatar in order to learn about the investment opportunities in the country.
Qatar and the US enjoy close economic and trade relations, which have reflected positively on the volume of bilateral trade, which reached QR21bn in 2017.
The US is Qatar’s top trading partner and primary source of imports, with 16.3% of Qatar’s imports coming from the US.
More than 650 American companies currently operate in Qatar, of which 117 are fully owned by US citizens.
HE Sheikh Ahmed in talks with West Virginia governor Jim Justice in the US.
