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On the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit and during his participation in a panel discussion organized by the US Business Council for International Understanding
 
H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce: “Qatar offers an attractive investment environment that has positioned the country as a leading investment destination”
 
H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, participated in a panel discussion organized by the US Business Council for International Understanding. The panel, which took place on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit that was held on June 20-22, 2018 in Washington, DC, brought together a number of chairmen and CEOs of major US companies.
H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce shed light on the characteristics of Qatar’s economy, which has positioned the country as a leading investment destination, in addition to the measures taken by Qatar to encourage and attract investments, including a draft law recently approved by the Cabinet to regulate the investment of non-Qatari capital in economic activity. The law allows foreign investors 100% ownership across all sectors and facilitates the access of investors into the Qatari market.
 
H.E noted that the wise policies adopted by the state have contributed to increasing the productivity of all sectors, which has positively reflected on the national economy that achieved positive growth rates during the past year.
 
H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce also highlighted mechanisms to support joints investments and encourage the Qatari and US private sectors to establish innovative joint investment projects across key sectors in line with the economic policies of both countries.
 
Discussions touched on the latest developments in terms of bilateral economic, commercial and investment relations and measures to bolster these ties. Discussions also tackled the importance of exchanging visits between Qatari and US businessmen and encouraging cooperation between government agencies and the private sector to the benefit of both countries.
 
The US Business Council for International Understanding is a non-governmental and non-profit organization that encourages dialogue between governmental entities and business communities around the world. It brings together a number of major US companies, investment funds and asset management companies in the US.
 
Qatar and the US 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 US is Qatar’s first trading partner and primary source of imports, with 16.3% of Qatar’s imports coming from the US.
 
More than 650 American companies currently operate in Qatar, of which 117 are fully owned U.S companies in addition to 20 oil and gas companies and over 30 American companies licensed under the QFC umbrella.
 
The SelectUSA Investment Summit is a leading event aimed at promoting foreign direct investments in the US with the participation of senior government officials, CEOs, private sector representatives and entrepreneurs. Every edition of the summit focuses on a specific theme related to the US investment environment, overall industry trends and new opportunities. This year’s edition will feature a number of key topics, including promoting global economic prosperity, investments in energy, innovation and technology, workforce development and rebuilding the US infrastructure.
 
SelectUSA Investment Summit brought together more 3,200 participants, representing 64 international markets and 51 US states, with the participation of the US Secretaries of Commerce, Treasury and Labor, as well as a number of governors and the US Chamber of Commerce officials.