Qatar remains to be a key trading partner for France in a wide range of areas, from energy to transport, as well as logistics, luxury and food, as both countries witnessed continuous growth in economic relations, French ambassador to Qatar Jean-Baptiste Faivre has said.
“In terms of commercial exchange, the bilateral relation between Qatar and France is excellent but we are dedicated to reaching new heights. The trade volume between both countries in 2021 amounted to €1.6bn: it is a very good outcome, even though it was affected by the pandemic, as it was everywhere else,” the envoy told reporters at a recent press conference at his residence in Doha.
He expressed optimism that these trade exchanges will expand in the coming years as a result of the global economic recovery.
Alongside the trade relationship, Faivre noted that the two countries also have numerous areas of co-operation such as food security, maritime transportation, sustainable development, circular economy and waste management, and energy, and plan to bolster mutual investments.
The two countries, Faivre said, also signed in December 2021 a memorandum of understanding between their Ministers of Finance supporting enhanced cooperation in the fields of public-private partnerships and green finance.
“We are working to strengthen cross-investment in France and Qatar. I am very happy to see the participation in Choose France of the HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who is also the Qatar Investment Authority chairman in Choose France,” he said.
The envoy said major French companies have been very successful in Qatar in major projects, citing a partnership between TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy in June 2022 for the development of North Field East as an example.
He noted that French small and medium entreprises, and mid-caps invest also in Qatar such as the French tech company Gaussin, which put up the first electric vehicle factory in the country in 2020.
“In terms of commercial exchange, the bilateral relation between Qatar and France is excellent but we are dedicated to reaching new heights. The trade volume between both countries in 2021 amounted to €1.6bn: it is a very good outcome, even though it was affected by the pandemic, as it was everywhere else,” the envoy told reporters at a recent press conference at his residence in Doha.
He expressed optimism that these trade exchanges will expand in the coming years as a result of the global economic recovery.
Alongside the trade relationship, Faivre noted that the two countries also have numerous areas of co-operation such as food security, maritime transportation, sustainable development, circular economy and waste management, and energy, and plan to bolster mutual investments.
The two countries, Faivre said, also signed in December 2021 a memorandum of understanding between their Ministers of Finance supporting enhanced cooperation in the fields of public-private partnerships and green finance.
“We are working to strengthen cross-investment in France and Qatar. I am very happy to see the participation in Choose France of the HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who is also the Qatar Investment Authority chairman in Choose France,” he said.
The envoy said major French companies have been very successful in Qatar in major projects, citing a partnership between TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy in June 2022 for the development of North Field East as an example.
He noted that French small and medium entreprises, and mid-caps invest also in Qatar such as the French tech company Gaussin, which put up the first electric vehicle factory in the country in 2020.
