The Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), Powered by Bloomberg concluded on Wednesday evening with the participation of more than 100 speakers of heads of states, chief executives, inspirational figures and decision-makers, in addition to a global delegation of more than 2,000 people from around the world.
The international event, which is the first of its kind in the region in view of the volume of global participation, sought to discuss the visions and trends supporting the growth of the global economy during the post-coronavirus pandemic; and to rethink the prospects for the global economy from the perceptive of the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
Among the most prominent leaders who spoke at the virtual forum are South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Patrick Achi, and Senegalese President Macky Sall.
The QEF focused on six main pillars over three days: "Technology Advanced" took a closer look at permanent changes to the human-technology nexus; "A Sustainable World" to explore the intersection of capitalism and climate; "Markets and Investing" posed the question of whether investors, in their inexorable pursuit of growth opportunities, can shape a more resilient global economy; "Power and Trade Flows" gathered global power brokers to share their vision of the road ahead; "The Changing Consumer" examined the future of commerce; and "A More Inclusive World" offered ideas for healing fissures in a post-pandemic society.
The QEF offered an opportunity to review the various economic policies that were adopted to establish the economic plans of the Qatar government and maintain the stability and balance of economic growth, and to highlight the business environment provided by Qatar and the available investment opportunities.
The QEF also shed light on the developments that have been made in the implementation of major development projects, especially those related to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and highlighted the efforts to consolidate commitment to the global multilateral trading system, enhancing economic openness and strengthening co-operation with various trading partners around the world.
The QEF represented a platform to shed light on Qatar’s efforts to consolidate its position as an influential economic player in the region and as a leading investment destination that attracts value-added projects, especially in sectors that serve its National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2018-2022, with the aim of establishing a diversified and competitive knowledge-based economy.