The available investment opportunities in Qatar and France on a wide range of sectors, including those in which several joint agreements have been signed by both the nations, will help build a new generation of entrepreneurs, a top official of the Qatari Businessmen Association has said.

Speaking in a recent forum held in Doha, QBA chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani said the State of Qatar is considered to be the “very first investor” in France, “from amongst other countries in the region.”

According to Sheikh Faisal, Qatari investments in France, which amount “to about €30bn,” are distributed in a number of sectors, including energy, real estate, hotels, financial services and businesses, telecommunications, and sports.

Among other countries in the region, Sheikh Faisal said Doha is considered as “a good destination” for French enterprises, prompting “a large number of French investing enterprises to set foot in the Qatari market.”

“Our country’s trade, business, and economic relations have gone through a lot of developments in the last 20 years, and a large number of agreements have been signed, such as an agreement to avoid double taxation and agreements in other domains, such as tourism, education, transportation, aviation, anti-pollution, and infrastructure, which directly contributes to developing our bilateral relations.

“Furthermore, there was the Qatari-French investment fund that was established in 2013, and it contributed to providing assistance and help to French small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This helps in building a new generation of businessmen and businesswomen in the trade and industrial domains, as well as transformational industries and clean energy in both countries,” Sheikh Faisal explained.

Asked about the sectors that are attractive for Qatari investments in France, Sheikh Faisal told Gulf Times: “France is one of the major economies in the world, and one of the primary economies in Europe, as well.

“The country is developed in the economic, tourism, healthcare, and industry, so it depends on the investor and the type of investments that he or she wants to enter, and France has multi-sectorial opportunities to offer Qatari investors.”

The QBA chairman also assured that Qatar is pushing through with its projects in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, and led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

“All of our projects are working steadfastly in line with their schedules. Our road infrastructures, bridges, railways, hotels, sports facilities and similar projects rely on advanced and state-of-the-art technologies, and this makes us welcome French investors with long knowledge and experience in these domains to work with us in the local market,” he said.

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