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Qatar is drafting new legislations, including an updated public–private partnership law, a foreign investment law and a bankruptcy law, to strengthen the legal framework and also help the private sector, which otherwise has been saving QR100mn annually through various industrial incentives.This was disclosed by Mohammed bin Hassan al-Malki, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, at the first Public–Private Sector Dialogue Forum, which sought to tackle key challenges, develop practical solutions and initiatives, and strengthen cooperation between both sectors in support of Qatar’s economic development.Highlighting that business procedures have also been streamlined; he said investors now automatically receive a tax number upon issuance of a commercial registration, alongside approvals for labour recruitment.As much as 95% of services are available online via the single-window platform, and a new multilingual portal has been launched to serve both local and international investors, he said, adding foreign investors can now participate in more than 1,400 business activities.Further reforms include the removal of requirements to match commercial activities for imports and the adoption of a unified Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC customs tariff, reducing costs, broadening sourcing options, and eliminating shipment rejections due to licensing."Industrial incentives — such as reduced leasing rates for industrial, logistics, and commercial land —are saving the private sector more than QR100mn annually," according to him.In addition, environmental permit processes have been simplified for 90% of industrial activities, lowering costs, enhancing project feasibility, and supporting entrepreneurship in value-added sectors, he said, emphasising that the private sector is a key partner in Qatar’s development journey.The forum featured a panel discussion with al-Malki; Saeed bin Abdullah al-Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice; and Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman al-Thani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour.Stressing the ministry’s commitment to implementing a series of initiatives aimed at simplifying business establishment and operations while creating a more attractive investment climate; al-Malki said these initiatives include comprehensive company incorporation upon issuance of the commercial registration, which now automatically generates the company card and tax number, provides approvals for labour recruitment, and offers a commercial name reservation service.These measures have helped reduce establishment times, minimise the number of government entities to be approached, ensure compliance with trade name requirements in advance, and allow companies to track their incorporation applications, he said.Saleh Majid al-Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industry and Business Development, delivered a presentation outlining the ministry’s main initiatives to strengthen partnership with the private sector. These include the creation of sectoral committees covering industry, trade, logistics, health, and technology, tasked with monitoring sector-specific challenges and proposing practical solutions.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The two sides reviewed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership and enhance relations between the GCC and Lebanon across various fields serve common interests.Talks also addressed recent positive developments in Lebanon aimed at achieving greater prosperity and security for its people, as well as the latest regional and international developments.The GCC Secretary-General reaffirmed the GCC's firm positions on Lebanon, including its continued support for the country's sovereignty, security, and stability, and its backing for the reform process and state-building efforts.Albudaiwi further underscored the importance of implementing UN Security Council resolutions on Lebanon, particularly Resolution 1701, as well as the Taif Agreement. He stressed that these steps are essential to restoring lasting security and stability, safeguarding Lebanon's territorial integrity and political independence, and ensuring the extension of state authority over all Lebanese territories.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed enhancing the strategic partnership between the GCC and Egypt and expanding cooperation across multiple fields to serve shared interests, during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.Discussions also covered the latest regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Gaza Strip and the serious violations committed by Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people. Both sides stressed the importance of concerted efforts to achieve a ceasefire, facilitate urgent humanitarian aid delivery, and end the crisis in order to safeguard regional and international security and stability.

The Qatar-US cultural and educational cooperation has been the epitome of the core pillars of the strategic partnership between the two nations for decades. Throughout recent years, this partnership has increasingly thrived in multiple educational, academic, research, and cultural fields, the Cultural Attache at the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the United States, Nasser Mohammed Al Nuaimi, told Qatar News Agency (QNA). Al Nuaimi added that the US is one of the key global partners of the State of Qatar in the academic domain, with universities among the most advanced globally, including four among the world's top ten. This makes cooperation with them an imperative for realizing Qatar's aspirations to build a modern educational system that keeps up with global standards. The State of Qatar aspires to forge long-term partnerships with those institutions, which would benefit both Qatari students and American universities through sharing expertise, setting top-notch educational curricula, and launching training programs that hone the alumni' skills, he highlighted. Al Nuaimi further explained that the State of Qatar is working to boost these partnerships through its various institutions, foremost among them being the Qatar Leadership Centre, which positions itself as a quintessential model for collaboration with American academic institutions in the areas that advance leadership and build research capabilities. These efforts are diligently ongoing, in parallel with energized efforts to increase the number of Qatari scholarship students in US universities throughout the years ahead, through holding coordination meetings with US university administrations to explore their enrollment opportunities in a variety of disciplines, he outlined. He averred that bilateral cultural cooperation is embodied in outstanding initiatives under the superintendence of the Ministry of Culture and Qatar Museums, alongside US institutions, particularly Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), noting the annual technical exhibition VCU organizes to showcase the artworks of artists and students from VCU's branch campus in Doha for a broader US audience, which literally positions itself as a cultural bridge between the two communities. Al Nuaimi delved into the foremost educational projects currently ongoing, noting the existing cooperation between Qatar University (QU) and several US universities to implement joint student projects. He emphasized that Qatari and US students are working together on research and academic tasks, which are assessed as part of their educational curricula. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education regularly participates in prestigious academic conferences such as the NAFSA Annual Conference and Expo and the Washington Higher Education Council, which promote Qatar's presence in the academic and global arenas, he highlighted. Al Nuaimi stressed that Qatari cultural diplomacy represents a significant contributor to promoting dialogue among peoples, given the state of play in the region and the world, noting that the domains of education and culture offer broader opportunities to forge acquaintances and make overtures. He added that they contribute to pitching the Qatari mores in a framework of shared appreciation. The Qatari educational missions in the US would project an honored image of the Qatari and Islamic identity if this identity were correctly and systematically pitched, he underlined.Al Nuaimi further outlined that the Attache performs a significant role and operates to provide all kinds of support for scholarship students, in terms of the academic, social, or psychological levels, by helping them focus on their studies and accomplish the excellence that projects an honored image of their homeland.The Attache annually convenes students to regularly check on their situation, either via relaying monthly messages or by reaching out to them and the academic supervisors in US universities directly, to ensure that a supportive and integrated educational environment is in place, assured Al Nuaimi.Al Nuaimi averred that there are steadfast endeavors to enhance academic cooperation between Qatari universities and US ones as part of future plans, through creating practical training opportunities for students while they are on campus, in addition to connecting US universities with Qatari institutions that teach the Arabic language, namely QU and Qatar Foundation.These endeavors, he said, would contribute to broadening the apertures of cultural and academic cooperation, noting the preparation to host an international conference for higher education in Doha in collaboration with key US universities, something that would ultimately open new prospects for academic and research exchange.Finally, Al Nuaimi stressed that the State of Qatar considers investment in education and culture as investment in human capital, laying the groundwork for the national development path. He emphasized that academic and cultural partnerships with the US will remain a core pillar in supporting the Qatar National Vision and promoting its stature on the global stage.

The State of Qatar participated in the Yemen Maritime Security Partnership Conference held in Riyadh under the auspices of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The State of Qatar's delegation was headed by Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bandar bin Mohammed Al Attiyah.

In an interview with Gulf Times in Doha, Benjamin Arif Dousa, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Sweden underlined the “clear prospects for even closer collaboration” between the two countries, particularly in implementing the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed during the visit of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Sweden last year.“We already have several MoUs in place—now the focus is on operationalising them,” Dousa said.“I would urge Qatari companies to invest in Sweden, as my country is among the world’s top-ranked in technology and innovation. We have a much diversified industrial profile and base compared to our neighbouring countries in the Nordic region. In Sweden, we have global leaders in fields such as artificial intelligence, financial technology, life sciences, quantum computing and manufacturing of course.”Dousa noted that the bilateral trade between Sweden and Qatar stood at $800mn in 2024. While, the bilateral trade has been increasing, the minister noted, “there are prospects to enhance it further”.“We see lots of opportunities on both sides,” Dousa said.Sweden mostly imports oil and oil-related products from Qatar. Swedish exports to Qatar include iron ore, telecommunications equipment and machinery.“It may be interesting to note that nearly 25% of the steel used in Qatar’s construction industry originates from Sweden’s northern iron ore deposits. We have been part of Qatar’s industrial journey for a long time,” Dousa observed.He said many Swedish companies are active in Qatar and have been in the country for many decades. They look to serve Qatar for many more decades to come.Qatar and Sweden have recently entered into an agreement to establish a joint business council (JBC), which aims to strengthen collaboration between the private sectors, open new channels for investment and partnership, and contribute to building a more sustainable future.Highlighting Sweden’s strength and expertise in green technology and sustainable practices, Dousa said, “We want to be very much part of Qatar’s transition to a greener future. From logistics to production and manufacturing, we are producing everything from electric buses to large gas turbines in Sweden.”He also highlighted the alignment between Sweden’s vision and Qatar National Vision 2030, which provides diverse opportunities for cooperation, trade development, and addressing shared challenges.Dousa also pointed to “untapped potential” in linking small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in both countries.“While large companies in Sweden and Qatar know each other well, the SME sector remains relatively unfamiliar in both directions,” he said.On Sweden’s capital markets, Dousa stressed that the country offers one of the most dynamic ecosystems in the European Union. Sweden probably has the European Union’s “most well-functioning capital structure and capital markets.”“After Silicon Valley, Stockholm, our capital, produces the highest number of ‘unicorns per capita’ than any other global city. If you look at IPOs for the last 10 years, we have had more initial public offerings in Sweden than in Germany, France, Spain and The Netherlands combined.“Although we are not the largest country in Europe, we have the most listed companies in all of Europe. Prospects for collaboration exist even more in this area,”Dousa, who led a large delegation of Swedish companies to Qatar, said firms in his country explored new avenues of trade and investment cooperation with their counterparts in Qatar.He noted Sweden “is a vibrant country” when it comes to entrepreneurship and growth.“We have quite a few Fintech companies – including the large ones like Klarna, who just had a high-profile IPO on NYSE, to smaller ones and in very specific technologies.”Dousa stressed the need for enhanced collaboration and cooperation between Sweden and Qatar, which are trade-dependent countries.“At a time when some countries are pivoting away from the WTO system, I think it is absolutely super important that we collaborate even more. We have to support the WTO. We have to trade more with each other. Actually, one of the reasons for my trip to Doha is to seek a free trade agreement with Qatar together with the EU.”Asked whether an FTA between Qatar and the EU would become a reality soon, he said, “I hope so. We have been in talks for many years now. When the United States is raising tariffs, we have to find new partners. We have to trade more with each other. An FTA will give a boost to overall trade. Especially, the SME sector in our countries will stand to benefit from a free trade agreement.”The Swedish Minister also supported more direct flights and enhanced connectivity between Sweden and Qatar.“Of course, it is people-to-people exchanges than can also lead to more business. Yes, we will love to see that.”Dousa said he will be leaving Doha “very satisfied”.“My visit to Qatar has been very successful. This is a country, which is open and frank...open to the world...trade dependent just like Sweden. Between Qatar and Sweden, we share many similarities, and I am confident our already excellent bilateral relationship will continue to grow,” Dousa added.

Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines have announced a major expansion of their codeshare partnership and an increase in frequencies between Doha and Beijing ahead of the Golden Week holiday period in China.This growth builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year, reinforcing the airlines’ shared commitment to delivering greater connectivity for global travellers from China.Starting October 16, Qatar Airways will share code on China Southern’s three weekly direct flights between Beijing Daxing and Doha.Similarly, China Southern will be expanding its “CZ” code on Qatar Airways-operated flights beyond Doha to some 15 destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, including Amman, Athens, Barcelona, Cairo, Dar es Salam, Madrid, and Munich.Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori said: “Qatar Airways and China Southern have established a partnership that continues to set new benchmarks in the industry. This latest expansion ensures that every Qatar Airways route to China is now accessible to China Southern Airlines’ passengers, underlining our long-term commitment to a market that is integral to our growth and connectivity. Timed with this year’s Golden Week, it provides Chinese travellers with unrivalled access through Doha to over 170 destinations across our global network via Hamad International Airport.”Qatar Airways has already placed its code on China Southern-operated flights between Guangzhou and Doha since April 2024. Building on the existing codeshares from Guangzhou and Beijing Daxing, China Southern will extend its code to flights between Doha and four major Chinese cities of Chengdu Tianfu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, subject to Chinese government approvals.Beijing Daxing marks the second Chinese gateway to be served with non-stop flights operated by China Southern Airlines. Beijing also connects with Doha through Qatar Airways’ daily flight along with Xiamen Airlines’ daily flight.China Southern Airlines President and CEO Han Wensheng said: “Beijing Daxing is a cornerstone of China Southern’s international development, and the launch of new Doha services further strengthens its role alongside our existing operations from Guangzhou. Together with Qatar Airways, we are expanding opportunities for Chinese passengers to reach destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas through Doha’s Hamad International Airport. This partnership underscores our commitment to building broader global access and delivering world-class service to our customers.”With this frequency increase and codeshare expansion, Qatar Airways and its two strategic partners, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, will now offer 64 weekly flights across eight gateways in Greater China.This is one of the most extensive networks established by Qatar Airways, operated on state-of-the-art aircraft equipped with Starlink’s free-for-all Wi-Fi connectivity in the skies.Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines will continue to cement their partnership in other areas, including cargo operations and loyalty programmes, as part of their joint commitment to build robust and sustainable partnerships which benefit travellers around the world.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have signed a landmark agreement to strengthen co-operation in labour affairs and human resource development, marking a significant step in enhancing coordination and partnership between the two Gulf nations.The agreement was signed by Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri, and UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr Abdulrahman Abdulmannan al-Awar.The signing forms part of Qatar’s strategic co-operation with governments and international organisations in the labour sector. It aims to enhance collaboration, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and promote best international practices in workforce development.Under the agreement, both parties will implement joint initiatives covering labour legislation and the regulation of employment relations, including recruitment policies, working conditions, occupational safety and health, and dispute resolution. The co-operation also encompasses systems for registering and employing job seekers, as well as programmes for training, upskilling, and requalifying the national workforce.The agreement will facilitate field visits to study best practices and exchange expertise in human resource development. It will also support joint labour-sector initiatives and enable the sharing of labour market data, publications, and the latest legislative developments.