Mohamad Al Harqan (left), Public Relation Manager at Ministry of Energy and Industry and Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Director General of Qatar Chamber announcing the Medfood 2017 expo dates, at Qatar Chamber headquarters.
Qatar Chamber (QC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Industry, will organise ‘MedFood 2017’ exhibition next week to promote products of local food and pharmaceutical industries.
The first edition of the three-day expo will be held in Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel’s Al Dafna Hall from September 24 to 26. The event aims at introducing national products in food and medicine and providing a platform for presenting the most important companies and factories operating in these activities, thus contributing to the achievement of food and medicine security in Qatar.
Over 40 exhibitors are expected to showcase their products at the expo, but the number may go up also. Any products falling under the local food and pharmaceutical industry can be showcased at the expo free of cost.
This was announced at a joint press conference by QC and the Ministry of Energy and Industry held at QC headquarters on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Director General of QC and Mohammed Al Harqan, Director of Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Energy and Industry.
The event is part of a series of similar efforts made by other governemtn and state-backed agencies to introduce and support local products to achieve more self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imports of food, medicine, and other products.
Al Sharqi said that the exhibition reflects Qatar Chamber’s keenness to support the national food and pharmaceutical industries, to boost the local market and self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on food and pharmaceutical imports, in addition to activating the Qatari food and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors in response to the higher directives to work towards economic sovereignty, especially in terms of food and medicine in the country.
He added that the exhibition will bring together a number of leading food companies and local pharmaceutical firms. This edition of the exhibition will be limited to local companies. The next edition will be international in nature, with several overseas companies and well-known brands taking part in the expo.
Al Harqan, on his part, said that the MedFood 17 exhibition seeks to develop local industries in two sectors that are of great importance to the local market.
He hoped that the first edition of the exhibition will achieve its goals, and the forthcoming editions are more extensive and successful, noting the efforts of the Ministry of Energy and Industry to support activities aimed at developing local industries since its participation in the first edition of the “Made in Qatar” exhibition organised by the Chamber in 2008, he added.
The event will also highlight investments in pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, and will reveal initiatives for the private sector to achieve drug security.
Al Sharqi stressed that local private firms and government entities need to work together in partnership in accelerating the efforts to achieve self-sufficiency as early as possible. And QC is working to cooperate with all stakeholders in this regard. And the joint initiative with the Ministry of Energy and Industry is self explanatory about it.
“In the coming days more events of similar nature will be organised to include more companies, industries, including companies from overseas so that they can hold B2B meetings and establish partnership,” said Al Sharqi.
Al Harqan also echoed in the same voice saying that the government is fully committed to boost Qatar’s diversification efforts and promoting the manufacturing industries by extending all the needful support, including easy financing, allotting land and duty-free import of machinery, equipment and raw materials.
The government is also working to make sure that the local products are available at everywhere across the country, and also creating awareness about them.
