His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani, Minister of Commerce & Industry, met with a delegation from the German Federal Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (BVMW) headed by Mr. Markus Jerger, BVMW Executive Director.

During the meeting, the officials discussed ways to promote trade and economic cooperation between Qatar and Germany.

H.E. the Minister of Commerce & Industry witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar (IPA Qatar) and BVMW, to establish a representative office in Qatar, creating the BVMW’s first-ever headquarters in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

The MoU was signed by H.E. Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer, IPA Qatar, and Mr. Jerger.

H.E. the Minister praised this major step, indicating it reflects the keenness of the Qatari and German governments to consolidate their strategic partnership. This is especially in light of the two sides’ common denominators, which have been translated into initiatives to enhance Qatari-German trade and investment exchange.

H.E. added that the MoU would allow German Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to learn and benefit from the investment opportunities and advantages available in Qatar. The MoU moreover offers them the possibility of expansion into various markets in the region, H.E. further noted.

Scheduled to start its operations in Doha early next year, the office aims to strengthen Qatari-German relations in the business field by connecting the 9,000 BVMW members with their Qatari counterparts.