Doha: The US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) Doha and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, organized an event in Doha on Wednesday, providing a platform to explore opportunities to strengthen food security in Qatar through strategic agrifood investments in alignment with Qatar's National Food Security Strategy 2030.
Titled 'Profit with purpose: leveraging Qatari investments to advance agricultural food security,' the event saw the launch of a report on building resilient food systems: a roadmap for Qatar's agrifood investments through cross-border investments in emerging and developing markets.
The report was prepared by USQBC Doha and IFC over the past year, following consultations with public- and private-sector stakeholders involved in Qatar's food security and agrifood investment ecosystem.
In this context, USQBC Doha Managing Director, Sheikha Mayes bint Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Thani, said that the report is the result of more than a year of systematic collaboration, research, and stakeholder engagement under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with IFC.
The Business Council's role is to translate national priorities into actionable business opportunities, precisely what this initiative does, she said, adding that by identifying tangible agrifood investment pathways that directly support Qatar's National Development Strategy, the private sector shows that it can be a genuine driver of food security, turning it from a policy objective to an attractive and achievable investment opportunity.
For his part, Division Director for the GCC Countries at IFC, Abdullah Jefri, noted that the event featured a presentation of the study's key findings and recommendations.
The study outlined an evidence-based roadmap for directing agrifood investments into emerging and developing markets in ways that enhance food security, diversify supply chains, and create promising commercial opportunities, Jefri added.
During the event, participants were introduced to a commodity-country comparison tool designed to help Qatari investors identify and evaluate agrifood investment opportunities.
Meanwhile, Regional Industry Director for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services at IFC, Wagner Albuquerque said that the State of Qatar has a unique opportunity to become a regional hub for agrifood resilience by leveraging the country's 2030 Vision, as well as its investments, technologies, and trade relationships to strengthen food security both domestically and beyond, noting that the report provided a clear pathway to help unlock this potential.
This comes as part of IFC's broader commitment to deepening the World Bank Group's partnership with Qatar and supporting its development priorities through helping mobilize investments, expand into emerging markets, create jobs, and stimulate sustainable growth, Albuquerque added.
The event forms part of ongoing cooperation under the MoU between USQBC Doha and IFC, which aims to promote evidence-based dialogue, strengthen private-sector engagement, and identify actionable opportunities that support Qatar's national development priorities and economic diversification goals.
