DOHA: Qatari and Saudi Arabian businessmen, who met in the Saudi city of Damam last Wednesday to explore opportunities of joint business and investment in their countries, have vowed to remove obstacles that hinder achieving their goals.
The meeting convened by a Joint Qatari-Saudi Businessmen’s Council expressed concern that despite the two countries being neighbours and having historical ties, bilateral trade totalled barely QR7.1bn in 2011.
In the previous year, Saudi-Qatar trade volume was QR6.9bn that grew only 3.3 percent.
Given the large size of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Qatar can be much more, rued the Council.
There currently are 300 Saudi companies operating in Qatar and the Council hopes the number would grow and they would be able to grab a fair share in the slice of development taking place here, particularly in preparation for the coveted 2022 soccer event.
The Council’s ascent is on an increasing number of Saudi and Qatari companies entering partnerships to do business in both the countries, and especially to grab major contracts in the booming Qatari market.
The Council has decided to explore a number of business and investment opportunities in both the countries and present them before Qatari and Saudi businessmen so they could take advantage.
Present, among others, were Mohamed bin Towar Al Kuwari, Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber and deputy head of the Qatari-Saudi Council, and head of the Council from the Saudi side, Abdul Rahman Otaishan.
The Peninsula
