Doha: The Minister of Economy and Commerce HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al-Thani said that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise 97% of the Qatari companies, stressing that there is a comprehensive government programme for supporting these companies.
In his speech at the opening session of the World Export Development Forum, HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce added that the government programme includes the provision of specialized zones and training, logistic, financial and technical support for these companies in addition to assisting in their growth and introducing them to local or global market.
There are several programmes carried out by the government through several institutions led by Qatar Development Bank to support this group of companies, he added.
He said that the development of small and medium Qatari projects comes at the forefront of the State of Qatar's efforts to diversify the national economy, explaining that these projects are essential to achieve the development of strategic objectives at the national level. He noted that the sustainability of many of these small and medium companies depends on their ability to find a suitable export markets.
He stressed that the government attaches special attention to the development of the small and medium companies through the provision of all kinds of support and training in addition to supporting their exports to the global markets, pointing that non-oil exports rose from QR 500 million in 2011 to QR 1.5 billion in 2015.
HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al-Thani said that Qatar is still at the beginning of the road and has a greater ambition for the embodiment of the National Vision 2030 adopted in 2008, which dealt with local economic diversification and the transition to a sustainable economy.
Held under the theme 'Sustainable trade: Innovate, invest, internationalize', World Export Development Forum (WEDF) is organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the State of Qatar through the Qatar Development Bank.
Qatar Development Bank was established in 1997, a 100% government-owned developmental organization. Its primary aim was to develop investments within local industries, accelerating growth and economic diversification in Qatar through support for private sector. QDB has launched a number of strategic initiatives and programs, all designed to directly contribute to the economic growth and development of Qatar.
International Trade Centre (ITC) is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.
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