Qatar could offer French investors access to four emerging regional markets with a combined GDP of $2.1tn and international trade worth $1.13tn, an official of Qatar Financial Centre said during the first ‘Qatar-France Business and Investment Forum’ held at the W Doha Hotel on Tuesday.
“Initiatives like today’s event are at the essence of QFC’s mission. This mission is to contribute toward our country’s vision of building, developing, and diversifying our economic environment. Attracting FDI is a national priority for us and QFC’s platform is the best option for your company when it comes to doing business in Qatar,” QFC managing director for Business Development Sheikha Alanoud Hamad al-Thani said in a speech.
Sheikha Alanoud also stressed that within a four-hour flight, French investors could consider Qatar as a hub to a region that has 40 countries.
“Combine Qatar with four other emerging regional markets – to highlight a few examples – Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, and Pakistan. This provides you access to an economic bloc with a combined GDP of $2.1tn and $1.13tn in trade,” she pointed out.
Sheikha Alanoud said bilateral trade between Qatar and France rose 30% in 2017 compared to the previous year, and stressed that international partners, including France, “have placed their trust in Qatar as a stable, secure, and prosperous ally.”
Citing World Bank forecasts, Sheikha Alanoud said Qatar’s economic growth rate is expected to reach 2.8% in 2018 and to rise to 3% in the coming years. 
“International confidence in the future of our economy was further underpinned when we raised $12bn in a sovereign bond issue earlier this year. The volume of subscription for the initial public offering has reached $53bn at moderate interest rates.
“We rank first in the Arab world in the Global Entrepreneur Index, an important indicator of commitment to innovation and growth, and a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem. The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report ranks our capital market as “the best and most important” in the region and as one of the “top 10 financial markets in the world,” she said.
In spite of the June 2017 economic blockade, Sheikha Alanoud said Qatar has proven its resilience as a robust and vibrant economy, and has transformed the challenges imposed on the country into opportunities by introducing a series of economic and other reforms.
“Exports increased by 18%, leading to a significant improvement in the public budget, trade balance, and current account and our banking system’s indicators have recovered and even improved their pre-blockade ratings,” she said.