Turkey has witnessed a 100% growth in exports to Qatar from January to August 2018, exceeding figures recorded during the same period last year, Turkish ambassador Fikret Ozer told Gulf Times on Wednesday.
“In the first eight months of 2018, Turkish exports to Qatar increased by 100% compared to the same period last year, exceeding the value of our exports to Qatar in 2017.
“Our exports from January to August 2018 stood at around $700mn. Similarly, our imports from Qatar are also expanding a lot at about $750mn in the first eight months of the year,” said Ozer, who spoke on the sidelines of the launching of the ‘Turkish Festival’ at Al Meera Hyatt Plaza.
Ozer said Al Meera “is doing the right thing” by going to Turkey to meet food producers and suppliers. He was referring to the delegation led by Al Meera deputy CEO engineer Salah al-Hammadi, who held meetings recently with Istanbul and Samsun-based investors and businesses looking to expand in Qatar.
“With these recent meetings with Turkish food producers, Al Meera is doing the right thing to go directly to the source and get the best information from Turkish companies. I have spoken to the administration of Al Meera and we learned that the company wants to deal and work directly with the suppliers in Turkey,” Ozer pointed out.
Asked about Turkish exports to Qatar, the ambassador said the embassy saw a “big increase” in food products, especially after the economic blockade. Turkey’s exports to Qatar, he stressed, are mainly electrical products, cables, furniture, and building materials.
On Turkish investments in Qatar, Ozer said: “Turkish companies in Qatar are mostly in the construction sector. We see good exports to Qatar mainly through Turkish distributors. We don’t see a lot of Turkish investments in Qatar but Turkish companies are helping in the establishment of factories and farms in collaboration with Qatari companies.”
Figures provided by Qatar Chamber earlier this year revealed that the value of projects carried out by Turkish construction companies in Qatar is estimated at $11.6bn; 205 Turkish companies are currently operating in the Qatari market, of which, 186 are joint ventures infused with Qatari and Turkish capital.
The companies are engaged in various fields, including infrastructure, construction and contracting, engineering consultancy, trade, electrical work, auto spare parts, foodstuffs, “and other important sectors.”
