Trade exchange between Qatar and Jordan witnessed an 18% increase to reach QR1.3bn in 2018 over the QR1.1bn recorded in the previous year, Qatar Chamber said yesterday.
This was announced during a meeting between the Chamber and the Jordanian Industrialists delegation, which specialises in wood and furniture. The group is in Doha, led by engineer Saed Estiteih, board member of the Jordan Chamber of Industry.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed areas of cooperation between Jordanian companies working in the field of furniture and their Qatari counterparts. They also discussed partnership opportunities and supply deals between the two sides.
Qatar-Jordan Joint Business Council deputy chairman Khalifa bin Khamees Mohamed al-Meslmani said investment relations between businessmen of the two countries have witnessed rapid growth in recent years.
He said there are 13 Jordanian companies that are 100% wholly-owned with a total capital of QR43mn in 2018. There are 1,550 Jordanian-Qatari joint companies operating in Qatar with a total capital of QR600mn al-Meslmani said.
Al-Meslmani said the Qatari economy continues to achieve “good growth rates,” and that the unjust blockade imposed on the state pushed the Qatari private sector to open new production projects, which contributed to the growth of Qatar’s industrial sector.
The blockade also helped establish many new factories, especially in the areas of food security, pointing to important investment opportunities in the industrial sectors that could attract Jordanian investors.
Estiteih lauded the collaboration of the Qatar-Jordan private sector, which aspires to develop trade co-operation relations and to enter into long-term partnerships, as well as to benefit from the cooperation opportunities from major projects related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He said the upcoming ‘Jordan Today Expo’, which will be held in Doha will witness the participation of around 100 Jordanian companies.
Samer al-Katbi, the head of the Jordan Furniture Exporters and Manufacturers Association, said the association is keen explore the Qatari market and network with their counterparts here on the investment opportunities and business partnerships in the Qatar and Jordan.