QHA meets Qatar Tourism chairman
The Qatari Hotels Association (QHA), led by its chairman, HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, held a meeting recently with Qatar Tourism chairman HE Saad bin Ali al-Kharji to discuss the state of the tourism and hospitality sector amid regional developments. Sheikh Faisal underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors to address the challenges facing the tourism and hospitality sector under the current regional circumstances. He also lauded the role of government entities in supporting the private sector in enhancing its stability and sustainability during this period. Al-Kharji affirmed that the government places great importance on supporting various economic sectors, particularly tourism, noting that plans are in place to direct tourism events and government initiatives towards supporting the hotel sector. He said the hotel sector is a fundamental pillar of the national tourism economy, which reinforces the state’s economic support, in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. **media[438256]** During the meeting, QHA also received Omar Abdulrahman al-Jaber, chief of Tourism Development Sector; Engineer Abdulaziz Ali al-Mawlawi, CEO of Visit Qatar; and Abdullah Mohammed al-Falasi, director of the Office of the Chairman of Qatar Tourism. Sheikh Mohammed bin Fahad al-Thani, QHA founding member; Omar Hussein Alfardan, QHA second vice chairman, and Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed bin Fahd al-Thani, QHA secretary general, participated in the meeting. Also in attendance were founding members Sheikh Falah bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal al-Thani, Sheikh Nayef bin Eid al-Thani, Mohammed al-Jaidah, and Fahad Abdullah al-Mana, in addition to Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company CEO Tarek el-Sayed, as well as chief executives of hotels, representatives of Katara Hospitality, and QHA general manager Sarah Abdullah. Sheikh Faisal affirmed that the government is keen to support the private sector and address the challenges it faces, reinforcing its role as a key partner in economic development. He noted the tourism sector’s strategic importance in achieving growth within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030, stressing the need to enhance cooperation to overcome obstacles and boost Qatar’s tourism sector. He lauded the partnership between QHA and Qatar Tourism. Alfardan emphasised that the tourism sector represents a vital pillar of the national economy, noting that intensifying joint work with Qatar Tourism during the coming phase with a clear strategy, will contribute to achieving the objectives of the State’s tourism strategy. He also lauded the meeting’s results and commended the role of Qatar Tourism in supporting the sector through promotional campaigns, the development of events, and cooperation with Qatar Airways to enhance transit tourism. Sheikh Hamad described the meeting as a constructive platform for discussing key challenges facing the sector, noting that these will be presented to Qatar Tourism, which will work with the relevant government authorities to address them, as well as enhance institutional coordination for robust ties between hotels and official entities.