​During a visit to West Virginia to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation between Qatar and the U.S.H.E. Minister of Economy and Commerce meets with West Virginia Governor and senior U.S. officials
 
 
West Virginia Governor H.E Mr. Jim Justice received H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce.
 
The meeting took place within the framework of H.E the Minister and the accompanying delegation’s visit to U.S.
 
Discussions touched on efforts to bolster joint cooperation in the economic sector.
 
H.E Mr. Jim Justice hosted a working lunch in honor of H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce and the accompanying delegation.
 
H.E Sheikh Ahmed had met with a number of senior U.S officials to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation between Qatar and the US.
 
H.E Sheikh Ahmed held talks with Mr. Danny Jones, Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, H.E Steve Roberts, President of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, H.E Senator Mitch Carmichael, President of the West Virginia Senate, Mr. Craig Blair, Chair of the State Senate Finance Committee, Mr. Eric Nelson, Chair of the State House Finance Committee, Mr. Steve Roberts, Team Captain for Leadership and Transformation at West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Mr. David Haden, Chairman of Finance Audit and Facilities Planning Committee on the Board of Governors at Marshall University.
 
Discussions touched on efforts to bolster joint cooperation in the economic, trade and investment fields as well as opportunities to bolster bilateral trade in light of the economic potential and resources of both countries.
 
The meeting also touched on the positive outcomes of the first phase of Qatar’s Economic Roadshow in the U.S, which kicked off in April.
 
During the meeting, H.E Sheikh Ahmed shed light on the incentives and legislative and administrative advantages that Qatar offers to stimulate and attract investment, including a law regulating non-Qatari investments. The law allows foreign investors 100% ownership across all sectors and commercial activities and facilitates the access of investors into the Qatari market.
 
Officials also stressed the importance of exchanging visits between Qatari and American businessmen and encouraging cooperation between government agencies and the private sector to the benefit of both countries.
 
During the meeting with Mr. Steve Roberts, President of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, H.E Minister of Economy and commerce, invited businessmen in West Virginia to visit Qatar in order to learn about the investment opportunities.
 
The series of meetings held in West Virginia is part of the ongoing bilateral visits and meetings.
 
The first phase of Qatar’s Economic Roadshow in the U.S, which kicked off in April, featured four economic forums in the cities of Miami, Washington, DC, Charleston and Raleigh. The forums were organized by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in cooperation with the Qatar Chamber, the U.S Chamber of Commerce, the Qatari Businessmen Association, the Qatari-U.S Business Council and a number of official U.S bodies.
 
The tour featured economic forums, bilateral discussions, meetings between Qatari businessmen and their American counterparts, affiliated exhibitions and roundtable sectorial discussions in the fields of real estate, investment, hospitality, tourism, hotel, technology, health, medicine, banking, law, public-private partnerships and infrastructure projects.
 
Qatar and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade relations, which have reflected positively on the volume of bilateral trade, which reached about QR 21 billion in 2017. The U.S is Qatar’s first trading partner and primary source of imports, with 16.3% of Qatar’s imports coming from the U.S.
 
More than 650 American companies currently operate in Qatar, of which 117 are fully owned by U.S citizens.