DOHA: Qatari and Malaysian businesses are working closely to enhance bilateral trade cooperation, especially to establish production and manufacturing facilities of timber products to meet the growing appetite of these items from Qatar’s building and construction industry.
Qatar Chamber (QC), the country’s oldest private industry representative body, yesterday held a meeting with the visiting Malaysian business delegation and discussed areas of trade cooperation focusing on the production timber products.
Vice Chairman of QC, Muhammed bin Ahmed bin Towar Al Kuwari, held a meeting with the head of the delegation, the Director General of the Malaysian Timber Council Dr Jalaluddin Harun, at the Chamber’s headquarters to discuss areas of cooperation between Qatari and Malaysian companies and entrepreneurs from both sides in this important sector, and to explore investment opportunities in both the countries.
Al Kuwari said that the Qatari business community welcomes the Malaysian investments especially since there is a big boom in the building and construction sector in Qatar which requires the use of all types of timber products on a large scale.
He noted that QC receives foreign delegations from all countries that are interested in exploring the Qatari market. Many foreign delegations establish business with Qatari partners and achieve rewarding profits.
He stressed that there are real opportunities for cooperation between Qatar and Malayisa which enjoys a developed and high quality industry.
Dr Harun said that wood and furniture industry in Malaysia is witnessing a big boom and adopts the highest standards in quality and technology.
He highlighted the distinct trading and economic relations between Qatar and Malaysia, and the keenness to further promote the relations at all levels.
He pointed out that the volume of exports of timber sector in Malaysia reached $70m to over 218 countries around the world, mainly Japan, the US, the European Union and Australia.
He said that the large-scale infrastructure projects in Qatar require the use of a lot of timber products and wood furnishings, paving the way for genuine partnerships and cooperation between the two sides.
The timber industry in Malaysia has garnered much attention as one of the economy’s core components of growth. As Malaysia is well-blessed with an abundance of rainforest and land, the steady supply of trees and logs highlights the importance of this resource-based sector, ranking it among the likes of agriculture, oil and gas, mining and manufacturing.
Malaysia is among the world’s largest exporters of tropical logs, plywood, sawn-timber and furniture to international markets.The Peninsula
