Minister of Finance H E Ali Sherif Al Emadi (fifth left), Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, U S Department of State, Anne Patterson (right), US Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith and other dignitaries at the Second Annual EID at Sh
The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has announced to invest $35bn (about QR127.45bn) in the US over the next five years (2016-21). This was announced yesterday at the ‘Second Annual Economic and Investment Dialogue (EID) between Qatar and the United States’ held at Sheraton Hotel Doha.
The series of meetings were co-chaired by the Minister of Finance, H E Ali Sherif Al Emadi, and the US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin.
Both sides discussed host of issues and recent successes in the US-Qatar economic partnership, including the expansion of QIA’s office in New York; lifting of a ban on US poultry imports into Qatar; US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval to commence construction on the Qatar Petroleum-ExxonMobil Golden Pass LNG project; continued refinement and enhancements of the US visa application process; the establishment of a Global Entry facility at Hamad International Airport; new aviation passenger safety bilateral agreements; and the Sister City Agreement between Doha and Los Angeles signed in November 2016.
Finance Minister Al Emadi, said: “It has been a pleasure to host our American colleagues here in Doha and make progress on a number of vital bilateral issues. Our close economic ties reflect the broader partnership between our nations, and I look forward to seeing this relationship continue to deepen during 2017.” The talks brought together key decision-makers to identify additional ways to bolster financial, economic, and investment relations, and build on momentum generated by last year’s EID.
The US and Qatar enjoy a robust and growing economic and commercial partnership. Bilateral trade is expected to exceed $7.5bn in 2016, and Qatar is among the top four markets in the Middle East for US exports of goods and services.
Assistant Secretary Rivkin highlighted the importance of continued communication coupled with concrete follow-up actions, noting the robust and enduring bilateral diplomatic ties between Qatar and the US served as a foundation for boosting bilateral trade and investment and removing barriers to entry.
The Qatar delegation consisted of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Economy and Commerce, Transportation and Communications, Municipality and Environment, Health, and Education and Higher Education, as well as the QIA, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Central Bank, Ooredoo, Qatar Financial Center, the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
The US delegation, in addition to Assistant Secretary Rivkin, included Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne W Patterson, US Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, a team from the Department of Commerce led by Deputy Director General of the US Foreign Commercial Service Judy Reinke, Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric Meyer, other officials from the Department of State, including the US Embassy in Doha, and a representative of the US Trade Representative (USTR). On the sidelines of the EID, a US business delegation led by the US Chamber of Commerce met with Qatari leaders, including the Minister of Economy and Commerce, H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani and the Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada.
