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H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, inaugurated on Thursday February 15, 2018 the Seasonal Dates Market organized by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in cooperation with Souq Waqif. The seasonal dates market, the largest festival of its kind, brings together around 85 local and foreign companies specialized in the “production, supply and distribution of dates” from Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Tunisia and Algeria among other countries. The exhibition will run until Thursday March 15, 2018.
 
The opening ceremony was attended by H.E sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani, Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association, H.E sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber and Mr. Mohamed Badr Al Sada, CEO of Hassad Food Company, along with a number of Ambassadors from participating countries
 
In opening remarks, H.E the minister of Economy and Commerce thanked all participants in the market, stressing that this event falls in line with the ministry’s efforts to support Qatar in its journey towards achieving self-sufficiency across all sectors particularly the food sector.
 
His Excellency also highlighted the role that the market plays in promoting national date products and different kinds of date produce in addition to offering local and foreign companies the opportunity to directly sell their products to the public, which would reflect positively on their sales volume and support their efforts to expand production capacity.
 
H.E. added that the Seasonal Dates Market presents an opportunity to promote trade and investment cooperation between local and foreign companies as well as to exchange expertise in date-related industries, thus enhancing the competitiveness of national products in local and global markets.
 
The market is the largest specialized exhibition for dates of different kind and offers companies the opportunity to display and promote their various date produce as well as dates-related food and industrial products.
 
The Seasonal Dates Market offers traders, entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises the unique opportunity to display their dates products and related manufactured goods.
 
Within this framework, the Ministry had invited foreign companies to participate in the dates market, presenting them the opportunity to exhibit their products, and enter into agreements and partnerships that will bolster bilateral trade in this field and provide access to new markets.
 
The ministry also sought to empower local investors to market their products in foreign markets and gain insight into the expertise of participating countries in a bid to improve the quality of local date products and strengthen its position in foreign markets.
 
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce invites the public to visit the seasonal dates market, which welcomes visitors daily from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, and from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm, to learn about the various dates and products that go into their production.

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce organized on February 11, 2018, a seminar entitled “Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Regulations,” which brought together legal auditors working in Qatar and registered with the Ministry.
The seminar comes within the framework of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce’s keenness to promote the auditing profession, which is regulated by the accounts auditing law No. 30 of 2004. The Ministry is also keen on contributing to the development of the accounting and auditing profession, which reflects economic performance and represents a safety valve.
The seminar, which brought together representatives of the Financial Information Unit at Qatar Central Bank, touched on the role of the auditing profession in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
Participants were briefed on the unit’s role and discussed cooperation between the unit and auditors to facilitate the work of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism Committee with the support of accounting offices and companies operating in Qatar. Participants also discussed preventive and punitive provisions stipulated in Law No. 4 of 2010.
During the seminar, participants were briefed on the joint efforts by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the Qatar Central Bank’s Financial Information Unit to raise awareness about anti-money laundering and terrorism financing rules as well as cooperation between the Ministry and auditors in reporting any suspected money laundering and terrorist financing activity. Attendees also emphasized the need to ensure the compliance of auditing offices with laws regulating anti-money laundering and terrorism financing.
At the end of the seminar, lecturers answered all the inquiries of auditors and accounting offices operating in Qatar.

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has issued its Business Progress Report on the Commerce Sector for January 2018. The report indicated the registration of 3001 new companies including 2396 main commercial records and 605 branch commercial records.
 
Limited liability companies accounted for 62% of new commercial records followed by limited liability companies in the category of single-person companies at 27% while 10% of new companies were registered in the category of Individual Corporations.
 
Contracting companies topped the list of most common activities in January, with 444 commercial records issued in this field. 206 commercial records were issued for construction material trading while 155 records were issued for grocery stores and supply shops. The field of public trading followed with 140 records while restaurants, cafeterias and ice cream shops accounted for 126 records.
 
The report pointed out that a total of 8204 commercial licenses were issued, amended or renewed in January. 1813 new commercial licenses were issued while 978 were modified and 5413 commercial licenses were renewed.
 
A total of 418 companies closed in January, representing 14% of newly registered companies.
 
Regarding write-off activities, contracting companies topped the list at 36%. Trading in construction materials, electrical appliances and electronics followed in second place at 18% while public trading companies came third at 17%.
 
The report has indicated that the total number of transactions that took place during January 2018 at the ministry’s branches reached 33,116 transactions.
 
In the area of intellectual property rights, the report indicated that 44 new patent applications were issued in January while 230 patent applications were renewed. In addition, 4011 trademarks have been registered during January, while 42 certificates were issued in the field of copyright and related rights.
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of E-Class 2017 model because the front air spring bellows may not meet factory specification.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

​High-level meetings, various events mark H.E Minister of Economy and Commerce’s participation in the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue       
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Success of the economic, commercial and investment aspects of the US-Qatar strategic dialogue
 Both parties discuss regional arrangements, commercial routes and ports established by the State to ease the flow of goods and services to and from Qatar through neighboring countries, and to bolster joint cooperation in line with international mechanisms in a bid to accomplish joint interests.
 Both parties agreed on the importance of holding the US-Qatar Trade and Investment Committee TIFA meeting in Doha before the end of 2018.Both sides welcomed a proposal to discuss the ratification of a free trade agreement between the State of Qatar and the US to promote trade preferences.The US-Qatar TIFA meeting which will be held in Doha before the end of 2018 will touch on the US-Qatar Free Trade Agreement, the agreement on the promotion and protection of joint investments, the trade and food safety agreement, cooperation in the fields of intellectual property, customs cooperation, cooperation in the field of the World Trade Organization, cooperation related to small and medium-sized enterprises, and other areas of mutual interest.The US-Qatar Business Council is the first business council to be formed between the US and a Gulf state. Its members include major companies such as Boeing, Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and others.The Minister gave instructions to provide support for the US-Qatar Business Council and expand its membership to include small and medium enterprises.The US side welcomed the Qatari economic mobility program, which will be organized during the first half of 2018 in a number of major cities in the United States.More than 102 fully owned US companies and more than 505 joint Qatari-US firms are currently operating in Qatar.The US is Qatar’s sixth-largest trading partner, with a total of $6 billion worth of traded goods.More than 5,000 US nationals currently work in the private sector in Qatar, and a million American jobs depend on business with Qatar.
High-level meetings and various events marked the participation of H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, in the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, which concluded on Wednesday in Washington DC. The minister’s activities aimed at promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and highlighting Qatar’s remarkable economic success over the past period and its future prospects in line with the Qatar Vision 2030.
 
His Excellency’s activities included a number of bilateral meetings in addition to his participation in a number of events on the sidelines of the US-Qatar Strategic dialogue, including a reception organized by the US Chamber of Commerce. H.E. also chaired a session on promoting Qatari-US bilateral trade and investment, and participated in a business lunch organized by the US-Qatar Business Council.
 
H.E. Sheikh Ahmed held bilateral meetings with Mr. Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce, Ambassador Anne Paterson, Chairman of the US-Qatar Business Council, Mr. Steven Mnuchin, US Secretary of Treasury and Mr. Dan　Mullaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative.
 
Discussions touched on the promotion of economic, trade and investment bilateral ties, and the prospects of economic and trade cooperation.
 
The outcome of these meetings demonstrated the success of the economic, trade and investment aspects of the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, namely the session on the promotion of Qatari-US bilateral trade and investment, which was chaired by H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce.
The session brought together H.E. Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Minister of Finance, and H.E Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Investment Authority, along with other government representative.
The US delegation included the Assistant Secretary　of State for　Economic and Business Affairs and Assistant Secretary　for　Global Markets, along with representatives of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs, the Office of International Relations, the Office of Intellectual Property Rights, and the Commercial Law Development Program.
The meeting touched on topics related to access to markets, government procurement, setting up a commercial presence in Qatari markets, the US-Qatar TIFA committee, intellectual property, the Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings, the telecommunications security agreement, and the trade and food safety agreement.
 
The US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue on economic and investment cooperation resulted in the signing of a number of agreements, memoranda of understanding and a letter of intent for cooperation in the fields of telecommunications, smart cities and combating human trafficking.Other agreements, including US-Qatari free trade and investment agreements, intellectual property, trade, and food safety, will be discussed during the meeting of the TIFA Committee in Doha before the end of 2018.
 
During his meeting with Mr. Steven Mnuchin, US Secretary of Treasury, the minister discussed regional arrangements on trade routes and ports established by the State of Qatar to facilitate the flow of goods and services to and from Qatar according to international mechanisms in a bid to achieve joint interests.
 
In the same context, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed met with Mr. Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Ross hailed the Qatar economy’s performance and the measures undertaken by Qatar under the unjust embargo, while expressing his country’s satisfaction with the status of US companies in Qatar.
 
The US Secretary of Commerce also welcomed and voiced support for the Qatari mobility economic program, spearheaded by the Minister of Economy and Commerce. The program will be organized during the first half of 2018 in a number of major cities across the US.
 
During his meeting with Mr. Dan　Mullaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East, the minister discussed WTO-related issues and the US-Qatari free trade agreement. Both parties agreed to hold the upcoming TIFA committee meeting in Doha before the end of 2018.
 
During a meeting with Ambassador Anne Paterson, Chairman of the US-Qatar Business Council, H.E. Sheikh Ahmedhighlightedthe importance of supporting the US-Qatari Council, bolstering its activities and expanding membership to include SMEs.
 
Both the Qatari and US sides also agreed to follow up on the outcome of these meetings through the US-Qatar Joint Committee on Trade and Investment that will meet in Doha before the end of 2018.
 
The US is a key strategic partner of Qatar
 
In addition to his participation in gatherings and bilateral meetings, His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, took part in a number of activities on the sidelines of the US-Qatar strategic dialogue aimed at bolstering and enhancing bilateral ties to the benefit of both countries.
 
During his participation in the reception organized by the US Chamber of Commerce to honor the Qatari delegation participating in the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed seized the opportunity to shed light on key number and facts relating to bilateral economic, trade and investment relations.
 
He noted that the US is Qatar’s sixth-largest trading partner, with a total of $6 billion worth of traded goods.
H.E. also said that the US is the top source of Qatari imports at 16% in 2017, adding that the trade balance registered a surplus of $5 billion dollars in favor of the US.
More than 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms and around 102 fully owned U.S. companies are operating in Qatar, including 20 companies that operate in the field of gas and petroleum, while around 40 US companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.
Sheikh Ahmed highlighted that Qatar has been increasing its investments in the United States over the years, creating millions of jobs across America. These include partnerships with numerous American companies, such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and Raytheon.
In this context, H.E. the minister pointed out that more than 5,000 US nationals currently work in the private sector in Qatar, while a million other American jobs depend on business with Qatar.
H.E. also hailed the Qatar Investment Authority for pledging to invest $35 billion for the period from 2015 to 2020, and an additional $10 billion for infrastructure sector.
He noted that the investment program　is moving along this target after Qatar Airways alone provided a $92 billion boost to the U.S. economy through the purchase of 332 American aircraft, a deal which supports more than 527,000 jobs in the United States.
Illegal blockade helped Qatar bolster its strength
 
During bilateral meeting on the sidelines of his participation in the reception organized by the US Chamber of Commerce, the minister touched on the illegal blockade imposed on the State of Qatar on 5 June last year.
 
H.E. highlighted that the US-Qatari gathering comes at a time of global economic uncertainties and challenging circumstances for Qatar, following the imposition of the illegal blockade.
The blockade is aimed at undermining Qatar’s position as an economically-independent and sovereign state, the minister said.
However, today, Qatar emerges stronger and more independent than ever before, he added.
H.E. stressed that the illegal blockade has presented an opportunity for Qatar to make its economy more open to the world.
In this context, the minister said Qatar has successfully established direct commercial routes with a number of strategic hubs around the world, diverting trade to its major trading partners.
Touching on the Qatari economy, H.E. said the wise policies adopted by the State contributed to increased productivity across all sectors, which reflected positively on the national economy and led to positive growth rates over the past year, reflecting Qatar’s economic resilience and ability to weather the illegal blockade.
During the session to promote US-Qatari bilateral trade and investment, the minister also touched on the unfair siege.
 
However, under the wise guidance of its leadership, Qatar has managed to weather the challenges of the blockade and maintain normal activity across all economic sectors, the minister said.
The minister added that Qatar has used Hamad Port to launch new shipping routes to strategic ports around the world, improving the country’s position as a regional trade hub.
Through Hamad International Airport, Qatar has maintained passenger and cargo traffic at a normal pace to more than 150 destinations worldwide, the minister said.
But more importantly, the minister said, the blockade presented Qatar an opportunity to fast track the implementation of measures aimed at achieving self-sufficiency across vital sectors, in partnership with the private sector.
He added that Qatar has pursued its years-long efforts to diversify its national economy and open up its economy to the world.
 
　
Qatari Economy…Numbers and facts
The reception organized by the US Chamber, and the business lunch organized by the US-Qatar Business Council, presented opportunities to shed light on the performance and success of the Qatari economy in 2017
 
In 2017, Qatar’s GDP Increased to $220 billion, compared with $218 billion in 2016, the minister said, noting that the country’s annual real GDP growth rate at constant price reached 2% in 2017.
Quoting the latest report released by the World Bank, H.E. said Qatar’s real GDP growth is expected to increase to 2.6% in 2018.
Qatar’s foreign trade has also shown remarkable growth in 2017, with the total foreign trade volume increasing by 16% in 2017 to reached $103 billion, compared with $89 billion in 2016.
Qatar’s total exports increased by 19% to reach $68 billion in 2017, up from $ 57 billion in 2016, reflecting positively on the trade balance, which recorded a significant surplus at 40% — up from $25 billion in 2016 to $35 billion in 2017.
All these positive indicators demonstrate that Qatar has overcome the blockade and enhanced its economic competitiveness, which positions Qatar as a highly attractive destination for US investments.
Discussions touched on the investment climate in Qatar, which is one of most politically stable countries in the Middle East with an economy that performed well, driven by petroleum sector revenues　despite global and regional challenges.
Participants also praised the wisdom of the country’s leadership and its decision to transform Qatar by 2030 into a knowledge-based economy driven by the private sector. 　　
Thus, the government is adapting its business model to this vision, the minister said, noting that Qatar is positioning itself to be a private sector-driven regional hub for trade in high tech and value-added goods and services, as well as to attract workers with world-class skills to support investments and internal markets in the state of Qatar.
Discussions touched on Qatar’s business environment, which is being designed and improved to diversify the economy and encourage foreign direct investments. In addition to the backing provided by a strong sovereign credit rating, foreign investors now enjoy a flat low rate of taxation, guarantees of ownership, a business-friendly environment and a world class infrastructure for improved access to regional markets.
Discussions also touched on the special incentives provided by the state of Qatar for projects being implemented in key sectors, in addition to 100% ownership and tax exemptions for up to six years.
 
Promoting Qatari-US bilateral trade and investment
H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, also chaired a session to promote Qatari-U.S. bilateral trade and investment.
During the session, H.E. discussed efforts to bolster bilateral trade and highlighted cooperation prospects in various trade-related fields, while tackling challenges facing the promotion of bilateral investments.
Participants also highlighted the incentives offered by the State of Qatar to attract foreign investment, and discussed mechanisms to follow up on the implementation of agreements by the US-Qatar Trade and Investment Council (TIFA).
During the session, participants also hailed the historic and friendly ties between the State of Qatar and the US These ties were further bolstered by Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed in 2004, participants noted, adding that US-Qatari Strategic Dialogue represents a key step towards building on these achievements.
Discussions also touched on the new laws issued by Qatar in order to attract and promote local and foreign investments.
These include a new draft law to regulate the investment of non-Qatari capital in economic activity, which the Cabinet recently endorsed in line with the directives of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
The law facilitates foreign investor’s access to the Qatari market by providing incentives in terms of land allocation to non-Qatari investors seeking to set up projects, tax and customs exemptions and enabling the free transfer of investments to and from Qatar.
Qatar has also introduced amendments to its law on investment free zones, which provides further incentives to investors seeking to set up businesses in Qatar.
The amended law on investment free zones abolishes all barriers and restrictions on capital movement and facilitates the introduction of modern technologies into investment projects.
During the session on the promotion of bilateral trade and investments, participants highlighted efforts to bolster Qatar’s business environment, noting the increase in the contribution of the non-oil sector to 52% of GDP in 2017.
Qatar’s success in promoting a diversified economy is evident in the country’s advanced ranking on several international indicators, the minister said, noting that Qatar ranks in second place globally in terms of providing a stable macroeconomic environment and in terms of tax impact on business, fourth globally in terms of government efficiency, eighth in terms of economic performance and 18th on the Global Competitiveness Index 2016 Report.
Participants also outlined efforts to bolster trade and economic cooperation across various sectors, which will strengthen the U.S. position as Qatar’s top trading partner.
Today, around 40 US companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.
Thus, the private sector in both countries is well-positioned to tap a multitude of existing investment opportunities, the minister said.
According to his excellency, these include infrastructure projects related to the FIFA World Cup 2022, investments in Qatar’s tourism sector ahead of state plans to attract 5.6 million visitors annually by 2023, in addition to large scale projects in food security, education and health services.
The US-Qatari Strategic Dialogue and auxiliary events, including bilateral meetings and discussions with key economic figures, provided another opportunity to expand bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation to the benefit of both countries in light of the enormous potential of their economies.
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H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, met on January 30, 2018, with H.E Mr. Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the minister’s participation in the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC.
 
Discussions touched on the promotion of economic, trade and investment bilateral ties. During the meeting, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce touched on the outcome of the session on bolstering bilateral trade and investment within the framework of the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue.
 
For his part, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce hailed the Qatari economy’s performance and expressed his country’s satisfaction with the status of U.S. companies in Qatar. The U.S. official noted that American companies operating in Qatar face no obstacles while highlighting the contribution of Qatari investments in the U.S. to the creation of jobs for American citizens.
 
Qatar and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade relations, including joint investments in the fields of oil and gas.
 
In April 2004, Qatar and the U.S. signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.  Bilateral trade between the two countries reached 6 billion in 2017.
 
More than 102 fully owned U.S. companies and over 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms operate in the engineering, consulting, contracting, IT, commerce and services sectors in Qatar while 40 U.S. companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.

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H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, participated on Monday January 29, 2018 in the reception organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to honor the Qatari delegation participating in the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue held in Washington DC.
His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs chaired the Qatari delegation, which brought together H.E Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Minister of Finance, HE Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Investment Authority.
The US delegation was headed by H.E Mr. Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State, along with a number of ambassadors and representatives of major American companies.
In his opening speech, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed hailed the history of friendly ties between the State of Qatar and the U.S. in the economic and trade fields.
The minister stressed that international trade and investment form a key part of Qatar’s diversification strategy, noting that the US is Qatar’s sixth trading partner with a total of $6 billion worth of traded goods.
H.E. said that 16% of Qatar’s imports came from the US in 2017, adding that the trade balance registered a surplus of $5 billion Dollars in favor of the US.
H.E. also noted that over 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms and around 102 fully owned U.S. companies are operating in Qatar including 20 companies that operate in the field of Gas and petroleum while around 40 U.S. companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.
Sheikh Ahmed highlighted that Qatar has been increasing its investments in the United States over the years, creating millions of jobs across America. These include partnerships with numerous American companies, such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Raytheon.
In this context, H.E the minister pointed out that over 5,000 U.S. nationals currently work in the private sector in Qatar, while a million other American jobs depend on business with Qatar.
H.E. also hailed Qatar Investment Authority for pledging to invest $35 billion for the period from 2015 to 2020 and an additional $10 billion for infrastructure sector.
He noted that the investment program is moving along this target after Qatar Airways alone provided a $92 billion boost to the U.S. economy through the purchase of 332 American aircraft, a deal which supports more than 527,000 jobs in the United States.
On another note, H.E. highlighted that the US-Qatari gathering comes at a time of global economic uncertainties and challenging circumstances for Qatar, following the imposition of the illegal blockade on the country on June 5th of last year.
A blockade aimed at undermining Qatar’s position as an economically-independent and sovereign state, the minister said.
However, today, Qatar emerges stronger and more independent than ever before, he added.
H.E. stressed that the illegal blockade has presented an opportunity for Qatar to make its economy more open to the world.
In this context, the minister said Qatar has successfully established direct commercial routes with a number of strategic hubs around the world, diverting trade to its major trading partners.
Touching on the Qatari economy, H.E. said the wise policies adopted by the State contributed to increased productivity across all sectors, which reflected positively on the national economy and led to positive growth rates over the past year, reflecting the Qatari economy resilience and ability to weather the illegal blockade.
In 2017, Qatar’s GDP Increased to $220 billion USD compared with $ 218 billion in 2016, the minister said, noting that the country’s annual real GDP growth rate at constant price reached 2 % in 2017.
Quoting the latest report released by the World Bank, H.E. said Qatar’s real GDP growth is expected to increase to 2.6% in 2018, adding that the contribution of the non-oil and gas sector to GDP at constant price reached 52% in 2017.
Qatar’s foreign trade has also shown remarkable growth in 2017, the minister said, adding that the total foreign trade volume has increased by 16% in 2017 to reached $ 103 billion USD, compared with $ 89 billion USD in 2016.
H.E. added that Qatar’s total exports increased by 19 % to reach $ 68 billion USD in 2017, from $ 57 billion in 2016, reflecting positively on the trade balance, which recorded a significant surplus at 40% – from $25 billion in 2016 to $35 billion in 2017.
All these positive indicators demonstrate that Qatar has overcome the blockade and enhanced its economic competitiveness, which positions Qatar as a highly attractive destination for US investments, the minister said.
Touching on Qatar’s investment climate, the minister highlighted the country’s attractive characteristics, noting that Qatar is one of most politically stable countries in the Middle East with an economy that performed well, driven by petroleum sector revenues despite global and regional challenges.
The Minister also praised the wisdom of the country’s leadership and its decision to transform Qatar by 2030 to a knowledge-based economy driven by the private sector.   
Thus, the government is adapting its business model to this vision, the minister said, noting that Qatar is positioning itself to be a private sector driven regional hub for trade in high tech and value-added goods and services as well as to attract workers with world class skills to support investments and internal market in the state of Qatar.
In this context, H.E. said Qatar’s business environment is being designed and improved to diversify the economy and encourage foreign direct investments. In addition to the backing provided by a strong sovereign credit rating, foreign investors now enjoy a flat low rate of taxation, guarantees of ownership, a business friendly environment and a world class infrastructure for improved access to regional markets, the minister said.
In his concluding remarks, the minister said Qatar provides special incentives for projects being implemented in key sectors. 
In addition to 100% ownership and tax exemptions for up to six years, the minister said the government is offering opportunities for public-private partnerships in specific areas which will give foreign investors an edge in accessing regional markets, inviting U.S. companies to tap these opportunities and invest in Qatar.
For his part, H.E Mr. Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State, praised US-Qatari relations, stressing that bilateral ties are characterized by their strength and continuous development across all fields.
Mr. Tillerson also hailed Qatar’s positive economic growth rates and its advanced ranking on several indicators, calling on US companies from various sectors to tap investment opportunities offered by the State of Qatar, which would benefit both countries.
The U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue is a reflection of the close cooperation between the State of Qatar and the U.S. on the political, security, economic and cultural levels.
 

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H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, chaired on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, a session to promote Qatari-U.S. bilateral trade and investment. The session was organized within the framework of the US-Qatar strategic dialogue in Washington.
The session brought together H.E Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Minister of Finance; and H.E Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Investment Authority along with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and Qatar Investment Authority.
The U.S. delegation, on the other hand, included the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs and Assistant Secretary for Global Markets along with representatives of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Affairs, the Office of International Relations, the Office of Intellectual Property Rights, and the Commercial Law Development Program.
During the meeting, His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed discussed efforts to bolster bilateral trade and highlighted cooperation prospects in various trade-related fields while tackling challenges facing the promotion of bilateral investments.
Participants also highlighted the incentives offered by the State of Qatar to attract foreign investment, and discussed mechanisms to follow up on the implementation of agreements by the US-Qatar Trade and Investment Council (TIFA).
Touching on Qatari-U.S. relations, His Excellency hailed the historic and friendly ties between the State of Qatar and the U.S.
The minister said the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed in 2004 bolstered these ties while noting that U.S.-Qatari Strategic Dialogue represents a key step towards building on these achievements.
His Excellency added that the meeting comes at a time of economic challenges for Qatar since the illegal blockade was imposed on the country on June 5th of last year.
However, under the wise guidance of its leadership, Qatar has managed to weather the challenges of the blockade and maintain normal activity across all economic sectors, the minister said.
The minister added that Qatar has used Hamad Port to launch new shipping routes to strategic ports around the world, improving the country’s position as a regional trade hub.
Through Hamad International Airport, Qatar has maintained passenger and cargo traffic at a normal pace to more than 150 destinations worldwide, the minister said.
But more importantly, the minister said, the siege presented Qatar an opportunity to fast track the implementation of measures aimed at achieving self-sufficiency across vital sectors, in partnership with the private sector.
He added that Qatar has pursued its years-long efforts to diversify its national economy and open up its economy to the world.
This has led to an increase in Qatar’s GDP to $220 billion USD in 2017 compared with $ 218 billion in 2016, the minister said, noting that the country’s annual real GDP growth rate at constant prices reached 2 % in 2017.
Quoting the latest report released by the World Bank, His Excellency said Qatar’s real GDP growth is expected to increase to 2.6% in 2018, adding that the contribution of the non-oil and gas sector to GDP at constant price reached 52% in 2017.
Qatar’s foreign trade has also shown remarkable growth in 2017, the minister said, adding that the total foreign trade volume has increased by 16% in 2017 to reached $ 103 billion USD, compared with $ 89 billion USD in 2016.
His Excellency noted that Qatar’s total exports increased by 19 % to reach $ 68 billion USD in 2017, from $ 57 billion in 2016, reflecting positively on the trade balance, which recorded a significant surplus at 40% – from $25 billion in 2016 to $35 billion in 2017.
All these positive indicators demonstrate that Qatar has overcome the blockade and enhanced its economic competitiveness, which positions Qatar as a highly attractive destination for US investments, the minister said.
He added that over the past months, Qatar has sought to issue new laws and to introduce key amendments to a number of existing legislation in order to attract and promote local and foreign investments.
The minister said these include a new draft law to regulate the investment of non-Qatari capital in economic activity, which the Cabinet recently endorsed in line with the directives of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The law facilitates foreign investor’s access to the Qatari market by providing incentives in terms of land allocation to non-Qatari investors seeking to set up projects, tax and customs exemptions and enabling the free transfer of investments to and from Qatar, the minister said.
His Excellency added that Qatar has also introduced amendments to its law on investment free zones, which provides further incentives to investors seeking to set up businesses in Qatar.
The amended law on investment free zones abolish all barriers and restrictions on capital movement and facilitates the introduction of modern technologies into investment projects, the minister said.  
He added that Qatar is currently working on the development of a public-private partnership law, which will represent a major boost to the country’s business environment.
The ratification of the law will coincide with the launch of several major projects that will attract investors in the fields of food security, sports, tourism, health, education and logistics, the minister said.
Touching on the state of the national economy, the minister said the government’s efforts bolstered Qatar’s business environment and increased the contribution of the non-oil sector to 52% of GDP in 2017.
Qatar’s success in promoting a diversified economy is evident in the country’s advanced ranking on several international indicators, the minister said, noting that Qatar ranks in second place globally in terms of providing a stable macroeconomic environment and in terms of tax impact on business, fourth globally in terms of government efficiency, 8th in terms of economic performance and 18th on the Global Competitiveness Index 2016 Report.
Touching on Qatari-U.S. bilateral ties, His Excellency said the US is Qatar’s sixth trading partner with a total of $6 billion worth of traded goods.
He added that 16% of Qatar’s imports came from the US in 2017, noting that the trade balance registered a surplus of $5 billion Dollars in favor of the US.
The minister voiced hope that Qatar and the U.S. build on friendly ties to bolster trade and economic cooperation across various sectors, which will strengthen the U.S. position as Qatar’s top trading partner.
His Excellency noted that more than 102 fully owned U.S. companies and over 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms in the engineering, consulting, contracting, IT, commerce and services sectors are currently operating in Qatar while 40 U.S. companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.
Thus, the private sector in both countries is well positioned to tap a multitude of existing investment opportunities, the minister said.
According to his excellency, these include infrastructure projects related to the 2022 World Cup, investments in Qatar’s tourism sector ahead of state plans to attract 5.6 million visitors annually by 2023, in addition to large scale projects in food security, education and health services.
The minister also noted that Qatar, one of top global producers and exporters of natural gas currently operating the largest LNG fleet in the world, is working to raise its LNG production capacity from 77 million tons to 100 million tons annually, the equivalent of a 30% increase in production.
In his concluding remarks, Sheikh Ahmed said Qatar continue to prosper thanks to its success in maintaining stability to attract foreign investments. He voiced hope that the U.S. would tap the opportunities offered by Qatar to build on the historic Qatari-U.S. bilateral relations.
His Excellency also called for future TIFA meetings to take place in Doha to discuss topics on the council’s agenda ahead of the second session of the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue.
 
 

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al -Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, met on Monday, January 29, 2018, in Washington, DC, with H.E Ambassador Anne Patterson, Chairman of the US-Qatar Business Council. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the minister’s participation in the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue.
 
Discussions touched on promoting relations between the Qatari and US private sectors in various sectors and the latest development relating to the US-Qatar Business Council. The U.S. side also elaborated on the council’s proposed plan for the upcoming period.
 
HE Ambassador Anne Patterson has been appointed as Chairman of the US-Qatar Business Council in 2018 after the Ministry of Economy and Commerce signed last September a letter of intent for cooperation between the Ministry and the Council in several fields.
 
Qatar and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade relations, including joint investments in the fields of oil and gas.
 
In April 2004, Qatar and the U.S. signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.
 
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached around $6 billion in 2017.
 
More than 102 fully owned U.S. companies and over 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms operate in the engineering, consulting, contracting, IT, commerce and services sectors in Qatar while 38 U.S. companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al -Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, met on Monday, January 29, 2018, in Washington, DC, with H.E Mr. Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Secretary of Treasury. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the minister’s participation in the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue.
 
Discussions touched on the promotion of bilateral economic and investments ties and the prospects of joint trade and economic cooperation.
 
Qatar and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade relations, including joint investments in the fields of oil and gas.
 
The United States ranked as Qatar’s top trade partner in terms of imports in 2017 with Qatar acquiring 16% of its imports from the United States.
 
In April 2004, Qatar and the U.S. signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Qatari-US Bilateral trade has reached around $6 billion.
 
More than 102 fully owned U.S. companies and over 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms operate in the engineering, consulting, contracting, IT, commerce and services sectors in Qatar while 40 U.S. companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, met on Monday, January 29, 2018, with Mr. Dan Mullaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative in Washington, DC.
 
The meeting which took place on the sidelines of the minister’s participation in the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue was also attended by Qatar’s Ambassador to US, H.E Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani.
 
Discussions touched on the latest developments regarding the Qatar-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meetings, as well as the assessment of memoranda of understanding and cooperation in various sectors.
 
The Minister also invited U.S. official to hold the next meeting of the Qatari-American Council in Doha before the end of the year.
 
Qatar and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade relations, including joint investments in the fields of oil and gas.
 
In April 2004, Qatar and the U.S. signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Qatari-US bilateral trade reached around $6 billion in 2017.
 
More than 102 fully owned U.S. companies and over 505 joint Qatari-U.S. firms operate in the engineering, consulting, contracting, IT, commerce and services sectors in Qatar while 40 U.S. companies are licensed under the umbrella of the Qatar Financial Centre.

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Alfardan Premier Motors, dealer of Jaguar vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Jaguar XF, XE, XJ and F-PACE models of 2016-2018 because the virtual display instrument cluster (IC) has been going blank intermittently.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

​The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz S-Class models of 2013-2014 because the driver seatbelt specifications do not match with factory specifications.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Company, dealer of Infiniti vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of recall of Q30 model of 2017 because a possible defect in the steering system may cause improper function of the driver airbag.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Ford dealer in Qatar, Almana Motors Company, has announced the recall of Ford Figo model of 2009-2012 because affected vehicles are fitted with a PAS (Power Assisted Steering) high pressure hose that may split, resulting in a power steering fluid leak.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
 
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Alfardan Premier Motors Co., dealer of Land Rover in Qatar, has announced the recall of Land Rover, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models of 2017 because the virtual display instrument cluster (IC) has been going blank intermittently.    
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz GLC-Class model of 2017 because the software for the powertrain control unit does not correspond with the latest series production configuration.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, inquires and suggestions through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has opened free registration for local firms and foreign companies specialized in the “production, supply and distribution of dates” in order to participate in the “Seasonal Market Dates,” which will take place from February 15 to March 15, 2018 in the traditional Souq Waqif, one of the most important tourist attractions in Qatar. Souq Waqif attracts both local visitors and foreign tourists and is largely popular among citizens and residents of Qatar for its yearlong events, exhibitions and festivals.
The seasonal Market Dates, which is specialized in all varieties of dates, provides an opportunity for companies to display and promote various date products in addition to food products that go into the production of dates as well as industries related to the trade, production and manufacturing of dates.
As part of its ongoing efforts to support and encourage companies to participate in the market, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in coordination with Qatar Airways and Gulf Warehousing Company, is offering discounts on shipping and storage fees as well as hotel and car reservations. Participating companies can benefit from the special offers and discounts by visiting the following link:http://bit.ly/datesmarketen
The seasonal dates market offers traders, entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises the unique opportunity to display their dates products and related manufactured goods to the public, which will have a positive impact on their business. Consumers, on the other hand, will have access to a variety of date products and goods that go into dates production under one exhibition, thus expanding their purchasing options.
The Ministry’s initiative and invitation to foreign companies to participate in the dates market presents an opportunity for the marketing of local dates products and allows foreign companies to exhibit their products, giving companies the opportunity to enter into agreements and partnerships that will give access to new markets and promote trade growth in the field of date supply. The market will also empower local investors to market their products in foreign markets by allowing local entrepreneurs to gain insight into the expertise of participating countries to improve the quality of local date products and strengthen its position in foreign markets.
The seasonal dates market, which coincides with the annual Spring Souq Waqif Festival, is expected to witness unprecedented success thanks to its location.
Registration
The Ministry noted that companies and entrepreneurs wishing to register to participate in the market seasonal dates, can send an e-mail to: DatesMarket@mec.qov.qa, or call: +97455951115.
The Ministry said registration and participation is free for all, noting that it will allocate exhibition space for participants to equip them as necessary.
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Company, dealer of Infiniti vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of recall of Infiniti Q50 and Q60 models of 2017 over possible defect in the Engine Control Module (ECM) programming.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 Call Center: 16001Email: info@mec.gov.qaSocial media accounts:Twitter: @MEC_QatarInstagram: MEC_QatarMinistry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Ford dealer in Qatar, Almana Motors Company, has announced the recall of Ford F-150 model of 2017 because the roll pin attaching the transmission shift linkage to the transmission may come out.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 Call Center: 16001Email: info@mec.gov.qaSocial media accounts:Twitter: @MEC_QatarInstagram: MEC_QatarMinistry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has issued its Business Progress Report on the Commerce Sector for December 2017. The report indicated the registration of 2572 new companies including 2056 main commercial records and 516 branch commercial records.
 
Limited liability companies accounted for 63% of new commercial records followed by limited liability companies in the category of single-person companies at 27% while 9% of new companies were registered in the category of Individual Corporations.
 
Contracting companies topped the list of most common activities in December, with 1507 commercial records issued in this field. 1067 commercial records were issued for restaurants, cafeterias and ice cream shops while 962 records were issued for grocery stores and supply shops. The field of public trading followed with 899 records while construction material trading accounted for 872 records.
 
The report pointed out that a total of 6659 commercial licenses were issued, amended or renewed in December. 1304 new commercial licenses were issued while 858 were modified and 4497 commercial licenses were renewed.
 
A total of 324 companies closed in December, representing 12.5% of newly registered companies.
 
Regarding write-off activities, contracting companies topped the list at 27%, followed by public trading companies at 21%. Trading in construction materials, electrical appliances and electronics followed in third place at 18% while grocery stores and supplies came at 16%.

The report has indicated that the total number of transactions that took place during December 2017 at the ministry’s branches reached 1583 transactions.
 
In the area of intellectual property rights, the report indicated that 63 new patent applications were issued in December while 178 patent applications were renewed. In addition, 3701 trademarks have been registered during December, while 12 certificates were issued in the field of copyright and related rights.

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Al Fardan Automobiles, dealer of BMW vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of BMW Series 7 Saloon and Series 5 Saloon models of 2015-2017 over possible corruption in the software.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 Call Center: 16001Email: info@mec.gov.qaSocial media accounts:Twitter: @MEC_QatarInstagram: MEC_QatarMinistry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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Ministry of Economy and Commerce announces recall of Isuzu Trucks F-Series models of 2014-2015 because of an incorrect condition on the lock plate of the front RH spring shackle pin  
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration Jaidah Motors & Trading Co, dealer of Isuzu vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Isuzu Trucks F-Series models of 2014 – 2015 because of an incorrect condition on the lock plate of the front RH spring shackle pin.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 Call Center: 16001Email: info@mec.gov.qaSocial media accounts:Twitter: @MEC_QatarInstagram: MEC_QatarMinistry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz G-Class models of 2015 -2017 due to the possibility of a fault in the work of the vehicle anti-slip control unit (ESP – Electronic Stability Program).
The ministry said the recall campaign falls within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced the one-month closure of a building materials company, located in the Industrial Area, for displaying and selling counterfeit sanitary ware.  
 
The inspection campaign falls within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to monitor markets and commercial activities in order to crack down on violations, price manipulation, and counterfeit and substandard products.
 
The company was fined and closed for a one-month period in line with article (7) of law number (8) of 2008. Article 7 compels suppliers to clearly display on the product’s package the type and nature of the item as well as other relevant data in line with the law’s implementing regulations. The law also prohibits the display of fraudulent descriptions, advertisements and misleading statements.
 
The administrative closure declaration shall be published at the expense of the company that committed the violation in accordance with Article (18) of Law No. (8) on Consumer Protection. The law stipulates that the closure decision shall be published on the Ministry’s website and in two daily newspapers at the expense of the violating company.

The Ministry stressed that it will not tolerate any violations of Consumer Protection Law and its regulation. The Ministry said it will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to competent authorities, who will in turn take appropriate action against perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.
 
The Ministry urges all consumers to report violations or submit complaints and suggestions to its consumer protection and anti-commercial fraud department through the following channels:
 
– Call Centre: 16001
– Email: info@mec.gov.qa
– The accounts of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce on social media networks
– Twitter MEC_QATAR
– Instagram MEC_QATAR
-The mobile app of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce available on iPhone and Android devices (MEC_QATAR)

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Al Fardan Automobiles, dealer of BMW vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of BMW X5 and X6 models of 2010- 2013 because there is a possible interruption in the universal joint of the front driving shaft which might cause noise.  
The ministry said the recall campaign falls within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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Ministry of Economy and Commerce shuts down building block factory for one month over display and sale of substandard blocks

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced the one-month closure of a building block factory, located in Al-Khor, for displaying and selling blocks that don’t match the standard specifications.
 
The inspection campaign falls within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to monitor markets and commercial activities in order to crack down on violations, price manipulation, and counterfeit and substandard products.
 
The factory was fined and closed for a one-month period in line with article (6) of law number (8) of 2008. The law prohibits the sale, display and promotion of substandard, counterfeit and fraudulent products. A product is considered fraudulent if it fails to meet standards or has expired.
 
The administrative closure declaration shall be published at the expense of the factory that committed the violation in accordance with Article (18) of Law No. (8) on Consumer Protection. The law stipulates that the closure decision shall be published on the Ministry’s website and in two daily newspapers at the expense of the company.

The Ministry stressed that it will not tolerate any violations of Consumer Protection Law and its regulation. The Ministry said it will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to competent authorities, who will in turn take appropriate action against perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.
 
The Ministry urges all consumers to report violations or submit complaints and suggestions to its consumer protection and anti-commercial fraud department through the following channels:
 
– Call Centre: 16001
– Email: info@mec.gov.qa
– The accounts of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce on social media networks
– Twitter MEC_QATAR
– Instagram MEC_QATAR
-The mobile app of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce available on iPhone and Android devices (MEC_QATAR)
 
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Almana Motors Company, dealer of Ford and Lincoln vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Lincoln-MKZ and Ford-Fusion models of 2013-2015 because the driver and passenger front seatbelt pretensioner cables may separate during a deployment and may not adequately restrain the occupant in a crash.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Doha Marketing Services Company (DOMASCO), dealer of Honda in Qatar, has announced the recall of Honda CBR 300R models of 2015-2016 over a fault in the connecting rod bearing.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that dealers follow up on product defects and repair them.
 
The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 
Call center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced that Sheikh Ali Bin Al Waleed Al Thani, the director of Qatar’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Office, has been unanimously appointed as Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS) with broad support from the organization’s member states.
 
Sheikh Ali Bin Al Waleed Al Thani chaired on Monday November 6, 2017 the TRIMS meeting at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva.
 
The meeting touched on the policies of some member states that imposed local content requirements in a number of investment fields, particularly in the energy and telecommunications sectors. Participants also reviewed comments on new or amended legislation in member states in accordance with the WTO provisions.
 
The TRIMS Committee oversees the implementation of the agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures, which was negotiated in Uruguay. The agreement stipulates that no member shall apply any measures that are prohibited in the provisions of Article III (National Treatment) or Article XI (Quantitative restrictions) of GATT as some investment measures can restrict or distort international trade.
 
This is the first time that a Qatari representative assumes the chairmanship of a committee at the WTO.

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Q-Auto, dealer of Volkswagen vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of 23 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf models of 2009 over the probability of thermal overload in the ABS/ESC control unit.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department.
 
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has issued its Business Progress Report on the Commerce Sector for October 2017. The report indicated the registration of 2062 new companies including 1596 main commercial records and 466 branch commercial records.
 
Limited liability companies accounted for 62% of new commercial records followed by limited liability companies in the category of single-person companies at 27% while 10% of new companies were registered in the category of Individual Corporations.
 
Contracting companies topped the list of most common activities in October, with 254 commercial records issued in this field. 163 commercial records were issued for grocery stores and supply shops while 155 records were issued for restaurants, cafeterias and ice cream shops. The field of public trading followed with 136 records while transaction clearance and services accounted for 127 records.
 
The report pointed out that a total of 7747 commercial licenses were issued, amended or renewed in October. 1481 new commercial licenses were issued while 1046 were modified and 5220 commercial licenses were renewed.
 
A total of 301 companies closed in October, representing 14.5% of newly registered companies.
 
Regarding write-off activities, contracting companies topped the list at 35%, followed by public trading companies at 24%. Trading in construction materials followed at 22% while trading in electrical appliances and electronics followed in third place each at 19%.

The report has indicated that the total number of transactions that took place during October 2017 at the ministry’s branches reached 37340 transactions.
 
In the area of intellectual property rights, the report indicated that 41 new patent applications were issued in October while 187 patent applications were renewed. In addition, 4019 trademarks have been registered during October, while 8 certificates were issued in the field of copyright and related rights.

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Doha Marketing Services Company (DOMASCO), dealer of CMC vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of CMC Veryca model of 2017 because the chassis frame might crack and break.  
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz GLC-Class model of 2016 because the transmission control unit does not correspond to the current production configuration.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co W.L.L, dealer of Toyota vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Toyota Corolla models of 2001-2003 over the possibility of a defect in the passenger side airbag inflator.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department.
 
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
    

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Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of C-Class, GLC-Class and S-Class models of 2015-2017 because the software in the fuel system control unit (FSCM) may not meet specification.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Al Fardan Motorcycles, dealer of BMW Motorcycles in Qatar, has announced the recall of BMW R 1200 GS models of 2014-2017 because on front forks, measuring the gap between the seal plug and fork tube.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that bike dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them.
 
The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department.
 
Call center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
 
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Doha Marketing Services Company (DOMASCO), dealer of Honda bikes in Qatar, has announced the recall of Honda CRF 450 RGED models of 2015-2016 because the transmission gear might break.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that bike dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them.
 
The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 
Call center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced Qatar’s accession to the Rome Convention on the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (1961), effective 23 September 2017.
 
The Rome Convention on the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (1961) includes the protection of the intellectual property rights of broadcasters from any infringement. These include the right to wireless transmission and live broadcast of television performances to the public; the right to re-broadcast via another broadcasting organization, as well as the right to broadcast audio, sound or images to the public; the right of fixation and reproduction of performances and the authorization of others to these rights, the protection of broadcasting organizations authorized by the state to operate and maintain a main headquarters on its territory.
 
The accession of Qatar to the Rome Convention marks another milestone in the country’s successful journey in the field of intellectual property rights protection, in which Qatar ranks first in the Arab world for the eighth consecutive year and 20th worldwide.
 
The accession of Qatar to the Rome Convention on the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (1961) as well as other international conventions and treaties relating to the protection of intellectual property rights also aims at protecting the rights of legitimate copyright owners due to the important commercial and economic repercussions of intellectual property rights in terms of promoting economic growth and development to accomplish the Qatar 2030 vision.
 
Qatar has previously acceded to a number of international conventions for the protection of copyright and related rights, such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the first international convention to protect the rights of authors, performers and producers of phonograms, as well as the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) And the WIPO Treaty (WPPT) on the Protection of Performances and Phonograms. The Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (1961) was characterized by provisions to protect broadcasting organizations.
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz C-Class model of 2016 because the seam seal at the longitudinal member at left and right has not been executed according to specification.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, and H.E Mr. Enggartiasto Lukita, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, inaugurated the Qatar-Indonesia Economic Forum on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 in Jakarta. The forum, which was organized by Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, comes within the framework of H.H. the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to Indonesia.
 
The forum brought together HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, and Mr. Erwin Aksa, Vice President of Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, along with more than 400 businessmen, investors, government officials, company executives, economic bodies and experts. Attendees gained an insight into investment opportunities across the trade, agriculture, tourism, industry and services sectors, as well as the wider economic fields of both countries.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, H.E Sheikh Ahmed highlighted “promising opportunities for fostering Qatari-Indonesian bilateral trade and economic relations,” while praising the level of cooperation between the two countries, which made progress towards close economic cooperation.
 
H.E noted that Qatari-Indonesian bilateral trade stood at about 500 million USD in 2016, noting an increase in Qatari exports to Indonesia to 356 million USD, while Indonesia’s exports to Qatar stood at 131 million USD in 2016.
 
H.E Sheikh Ahmed highlighted the competitiveness of the Qatari economy and the numerous incentives it offers to investors, while praising economic and trade relations between Qatar and Indonesia. His Excellency also underscored Qatar’s strategic location, which contributes to increasing its attractiveness as an investment destination, and shed light on the country’s advanced infrastructure and its position as the world’s largest natural gas exporter.
 
Sheikh Ahmed stressed that Qatar has succeeded in delivering an array of world-class infrastructure projects over the past few years. These include Hamad International Airport, one of the world’s largest airports, that will soon accommodate 50 million passengers annually, and Hamad Port, which boasts a capacity of 7.5 million containers. Qatar also hosts an advanced network of highways, while its globally leading airline, Qatar Airways, connects the country to more than 150 destinations worldwide.
 
H.E noted that Qatar is highly competitive in the energy market thanks to its rich natural gas and oil resources, and that the nation is also the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas and helium, and the fourth-largest producer of urea in the world.
 
Highlighting incentives provided by the state, Sheikh Ahmed said non-Qatari investors can own up to 100% of investment projects in several economic sectors, while invested foreign capital is exempted from income tax for up to ten years from the date of launching an investment project. Qatar also offers key investment incentives, such as exempting imported large machinery and raw materials from taxes, and refraining from imposing restrictions on capital and profit repatriation, in addition to allowing the free transfer of company ownership.
 
His Excellency urged the business community to tap investment opportunities offered by Qatar, noting that the state is providing important incentives in a number of priority sectors, including industry, agriculture, health, education, information technology, tourism and sports.
 
Highlighting the characteristics of Qatar’s logistics and industrial zones, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed noted that Qatar has developed a comprehensive environment to attract investors, reflecting the state’s belief that the country’s business climate and institutional framework are equally important to its advanced infrastructure. He also highlighted the incentives offered to investors by the Qatar Financial Centre, the Qatar Science and Technology Park, as well as the nation’s logistics and industrial zones, adding that the development of a Sport Business Park, which will be dedicated to sports companies involved in the organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is underway.
 
Touching on the laws and legislative framework established to regulate the business environment, His Excellency underlined Qatar’s efforts to consolidate the concept of the rule of law, an important characteristic of the Qatari legislative environment at the global level, as demonstrated by the country’s ranking in 10th place on the Institutional Strength Index. Qatar has recently issued several laws to promote business, namely a new International Arbitration Law, a Commercial Companies Law and a Labor Law.
 
His Excellency added that Qatar is currently working on issuing a Public Private Partnership Law that will facilitate the establishment of new projects in the areas of health and education, among other sectors.
 
The Minister also highlighted Qatar’s advanced ranking on several international indices, noting the country’s leading position in terms of low inflation, business safety, the impact of taxes in business and the government efficiency index.
 
His Excellency outlined the programs and policies adopted by Qatar to establish an attractive investment environment for various economic projects, pointing out that the country has achieved significant growth driven by an increase in the contribution of the oil and non-oil sectors to GDP. Qatar has continued to achieve stable real GDP growth rates of 3.3 % over the last three years, despite fluctuations in oil prices, which demonstrates the strength of the Qatari economy. The Minister also highlighted the strength of the Qatari riyal, which has been pegged to the US dollar since 1982.
 
Touching on the education sector, the Minister said Qatar is home to a very high-quality education system, ranking fifth globally on the Quality of Education Index, according to the World Economic Forum. The country has allocated 2.8 % of its GDP for research & development, and is home to some of the world’s leading educational institutions, such as Qatar Foundation, Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, as well as elite international universities such as Texas A&M, Weill Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and Georgetown.
 
His Excellency voiced his hope that the forum will provide an opportunity to establish action plans aimed at increasing economic cooperation and bolstering bilateral trade and investment, as well as paving the way for partnerships and joint investments between Qatari businessmen and their Indonesian counterparts.
 
For his part, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, H.E Mr. Enggartiasto Lukita, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, underscored the development of Qatari-Indonesia economic and trade relations, saying both Qatar and Indonesia are home to business-friendly economies which serve to promote free trade.
 
The Indonesian Minister added that his country has cemented its position as one of the world’s leading emerging countries with major investment breakthroughs across various sectors, noting that the agricultural, tourism and real estate sectors offer promising opportunities that contribute to the development of bilateral relations between Indonesian businessmen and their Qatari counterparts.
 
The Minister also stressed that the forum paves the way for the private sector in both countries to enhance bilateral cooperation and benefit from the important opportunities offered by Qatar and Indonesia in the investment and trade sectors, noting that the bilateral agreements signed during the forum mark an important milestone in the development of economic and trade cooperation.
 
H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, also spoke of his expectancy that the forum paves the way for new joint commercial and investment ventures.
 
Sheikh Khalifa said Qatari-Indonesian economic and trade relations have grown over the past years, as demonstrated by the value of bilateral trade which stood at about QR 1.8 billion in 2016, while noting the important role that the private sector plays in enhancing commercial and investment relations between both countries. He also urged the establishment of successful investment partnerships, noting that the participation of a large number of Qatari and Indonesian investors and businessmen in the forum reflects a common interest in promoting bilateral investments in priority sectors.
 
For his part, Mr. Erwin Aksa, Vice President of Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, said the forum propels Qatari-Indonesian ties forward. Mr. Aksa praised the development and growth of trade relations between Qatar and Indonesia, and invited companies and businessmen from both countries to take advantage of the investment opportunities that were highlighted during the forum.
 
He also stressed the importance of joint efforts by the business sector in both countries to explore cooperation opportunities and exchange expertise, trade visits and fairs in a bid to capitalize on the the agreements and memorandums of understanding signed in various economic fields to the benefits of both countries.
 
The forum featured two workshops. The first, entitled Qatar Challenges and Opportunities for Joint Projects & Investment, brought together Mr Nabeel Mohammed Al-Bouainain, CEO of Qatari Diar; Mr Hamad Al Mulla, CEO of Katara Hospitality; Mr Mohamed Al Sada, CEO of Hassad Food; and Mr Khalid Al Mana, Executive Director of Qatar Development Bank.
 
The second workshop touched on transportation, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, programme delivery, challenges and opportunities for Qatari-Indonesian cooperation, and Qatar’s challenges in the energy sector.
 
The workshop was attended by Mr. Fahad Rashid al Kaabi, CEO of Manateq Company; Eng. Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Executive Director of Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy; Sheikh Meshal bin Jabor Al-Thani, Director of Energy Affairs at Ministry of Energy & Industry; and Mr. Abdulaziz Al Yafei, Director of Hamad Port.
 
The forum also included bilateral meetings between businessmen from both countries to discuss investment opportunities, as well as measures to bolster long-term economic cooperation, so as to enable Qatari companies to draw lessons from their Indonesian counterparts’ success.
 
The Economic Forum is the latest in a series of key initiatives aimed at highlighting the competitiveness of Qatar’s economy and business environment, which will further contribute to attracting foreign direct investment.
 

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H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani,  Minister of Economy and Commerce, and HE Mr. Enggartiasto Lukita, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, attended the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and a declaration of intent between Qatar Chamber, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, Mwani Qatar and the Indonesian Port Authority. The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, on the sidelines of the Qatar-Indonesia Economic Forum organized by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade in Indonesia.
The MoU between Qatar Chamber and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce aims at enhancing cooperation and promoting the exchange of information and business opportunities between Qatar Chamber and the Indonesian chamber of Commerce, as well as the organization of business-related fairs in both countries.
H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, and Mr. Erwin Aksa, Vice President of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, co-signed the MoU.
Meanwhile, the MoU between Mwani Qatar and the Indonesian Port Authority will allow both parties to exchange best practices and expertise on port management and operation, enhance communication and cooperation on promoting investment and innovative technologies, and join efforts to promote logistics, trade and information exchange to enhance the ports’ capabilities in a bid to bolster the economies of both countries.
Abdulaziz Al-Yafei, Director of Hamad Port, and Mr. Spento R. Arinto, Director of Indonesia’s Port Authority, co-signed the MoU.
A declaration of intent between Mwani Qatar and the Port Authority of Indonesia was also signed by Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Yafei, Director of Hamad Port in Qatar, and Mr. Bambang Eka Cahyana, President Director of Pelindo I.
The Memorandums of Understanding will contribute to the development of trade and economic relations between Qatar and Indonesia, and enhance communication and cooperation between both nations’ private sectors. The MoUs will also contribute to the development of mechanisms and measures for the establishment of joint investment projects.
The Qatari-Indonesian Economic Forum marks an important milestone in the development of economic, investment and trade cooperation between the two countries. During the forum, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce highlighted the advantages of investing in Qatar, and outlined how Indonesia’s private sector can benefit from the incentives provided by the state to foreign investors. Participants also discussed the importance of developing long-term economic cooperation mechanisms, enabling Qatari companies to draw lessons from the success of their Indonesian counterparts.
Total bilateral trade between Qatar and Indonesia amounted to approximately 1.8 billion Qatari riyals in 2016, the equivalent of 493 million US dollars.

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, and H.E. S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry, attended the signing of four memoranda of understanding between Qatar Chamber, the Singapore Business Federation and a number of companies specialized in training and consultancy services, agriculture, and construction. The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, on the sidelines of the Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum organized by the Qatari Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Singapore.
HE Sheikh Ahmed attended the signing ceremony of the MoU between Qatar Chamber and the Singapore Business Federation. The MoU aims at enhancing trade and investment between the business communities of both countries through the facilitation of the direct exchange of information, business delegations, and the promotion of business opportunities.
HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, and Mr. Teo Siong Seng, Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, co-signed the memorandum.
Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce also attended the signing of an MoU between Al Khaleejia Business Management, a member of the Taleb Group, and Educare International Consultancy Private Limited.
The MoU will explore the possibilities of collaboration with Taleb Group as a partner to bring Educare’s training and consultancy services to the State of Qatar. Both parties will also seek to organize workshops, seminars and conferences to promote the exchange of knowledge and scientific publications, implement joint professional development and leadership projects, in addition to establishing educational institutions.
Mr Mohamed Taleb Al Khauri, Managing Director of Al Khaleejia Business Management Co WLL and Mr. Alex Shieh, Director of Strategic Development at Educare International Consultancy Private Limited, co-signed the MoU.
A third memorandum of understanding was signed between Al Adekhar Agricultural Co WLL, a member of Taleb Group, and Cutech Group. The MoU aims at collaborating on a feasibility study to assess joint partnership opportunities in the areas of organic chicken farming, and eventually establishing a company in Qatar.
Mr Mohamed Taleb Al Khauri, Managing Director of Al Adekhar Agricultural Co WLL, and Mr N. Arunachalam, Chairman of Cutech Solutions and Services Pte Ltd, co-signed the MoU.
A fourth memorandum of understanding was signed between Qatar Primary Materials Company (QMPC), EnGro Corporation Ltd, and Al Wattan International Trading and Contracting Co., a member of Taleb group. The MoU aims at establishing a joint venture for the export and supply of raw materials and cement.
Engr. Eisa Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Primary Materials Company (QMPC); Mr Tan Cheng Gay, Chairman & CEO, EnGro Corporation Limited; and Mr Mohamed Taleb Al Khauri, Managing Director, Taleb Group Company, co-signed the MoU.
The memoranda of understanding will contribute to the development of trade and economic relations between Qatar and Singapore and enhance communication and cooperation between both nations’ private sectors. The MoU will also contribute to the development of mechanisms and measures for the establishment of joint investment projects.
The Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum marks an important milestone in the development of economic, investment and trade cooperation between the two countries. During the forum, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce highlighted the advantages of investing in Qatar and how Singapore’s private sector can benefit from the incentives provided by the state to foreign investors. Participants also discussed the importance of developing long-term economic cooperation mechanisms, enabling Qatari companies to draw lessons from the success of their Singaporean counterparts.
Singapore ranks as Qatar’s 7th largest trade partner, with a total of $3.5 billion worth of traded goods in 2016. The value of Qatar’s exports to Singapore stood at about $ 3 billion in 2016, while Singapore’s exports to Qatar reached more than $ 350 million in 2016.
 

​His Excellency called on participants to benefit from the investment opportunities and incentives offered by the State of Qatar in various sectors.H.E. Minister of Economy and Commerce says the issuance of a Public Private Partnership Law will facilitate the establishment of new projects across various sectors.Qatar is globally recognized as a country where “rule of law” prevailsQatar ranks 10th globally in terms of the strength of institutionsQatar has recently promulgated several laws promoting business, most notably the new international arbitration law, the Commercial Companies Law and the Labor Law.Qatar is home to a high-quality education system, ranking fifth on the Quality of Education IndexQatar allocates 2.8 percent of GDP to research and development.Qatar is home to leading educational institutions such as Qatar Foundation, Qatar University, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.Up to 100 percent foreign ownership for most sectors.Invested foreign capital is exempt from income tax for up to 10 years from the date of operation of the investment project.Qatar offers key investment incentives, such as exempting imported large machinery and raw materials from taxes, refraining from imposing restrictions on capital and profit repatriation, in addition to allowing the free transfer of company ownershipThe forum featured two workshops, during which Qatari officials reviewed the most important investment projects for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, transportation, Challenges and Opportunities for Qatari-Singaporean Cooperation, and Qatar challenges in the Energy sector.
 
HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, and HE Mr. S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry, participated in the Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in Singapore. The forum, which was organized by the Qatari Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in cooperation with the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry, comes within the framework of H.H. the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to Singapore.
 
The forum brought together HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber  and HE Mr S.S. Teo, Chairman of Singapore Business Federation, along with more than 450 businessmen, investors, government officials, company executives, economic bodies and experts at the largest ever forum to be held in Singapore in cooperation with a Middle Eastern country to gain insight into investment opportunities across various sectors, such as the trade, agriculture, tourism, industry, and services sectors, as well as the wider economic fields of both countries.
 
HE Sheikh Ahmed highlighted the competitiveness of the Qatari economy and the numerous incentives it offers to investors, while praising economic and trade relations between Qatar and Singapore. His Excellency also underscored Qatar’s strategic location, which contributes to increasing its attractiveness as an investment destination, and shed light on the country’s advanced infrastructure and its position as the world’s largest natural gas exporter.
 
He noted that Qatar is highly competitive in the energy market thanks to its rich natural gas and oil resources, noting that the nation is also the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas and helium, and the fourth-largest producer of Urea in the world.
 
Sheikh Ahmed stressed that Qatar has also succeeded in delivering an array of world-class infrastructure projects over the past few years. These include Hamad International Airport, one of the world’s largest airports, that will soon accommodate 50 million passengers annually, and Hamad Port, with a capacity of 7.5 million containers. Qatar also hosts an advanced network of highways while its globally leading airline carrier, Qatar Airways, connects the country to more than 150 destinations worldwide.
 
Touching on the laws and legislative framework established to regulate the business environment, His Excellency stressed Qatar’s efforts to consolidate the concept of the rule of law, an important characteristic of the Qatari legislative environment at the global level, as demonstrated by the country’s ranking in 10th place on the Institutional Strength Index. Qatar has recently issued several laws to promote business, namely a new International Arbitration Law, a Commercial Companies Law and a Labor Law.
 
His Excellency added that Qatar is currently working on issuing a Public Private Partnership Law that will facilitate the establishment of new projects in the areas of health and education, among other sectors.
 
The Minister also highlighted Qatar’s advanced ranking on several international indices, noting the country’s leading position in terms of low inflation, business safety, the impact of taxes in business and the government efficiency index.
 
His Excellency outlined the programs and policies adopted by Qatar to establish an attractive investment environment for various economic projects, noting that the country has achieved significant growth driven by an increase in the contribution of the oil and non-oil sectors to GDP. Qatar has continued to achieve stable real GDP growth rates of 3.3 % over the last three years despite fluctuations in oil prices, which demonstrates the strength of the Qatari economy. The Minister also highlighted the strength of the Qatari riyal, which has been pegged to the US dollar since 1982.
 
Sheikh Ahmed noted that Qatar has developed a comprehensive environment to attract investors, reflecting the state’s belief that the country’s business climate and institutional framework are equally important to its advanced infrastructure. He also highlighted the incentives offered to investors by the Qatar Financial Centre, the Qatar Science and Technology Park, as well as Logistics and Industrial zones, adding that the development of a Sport Business Park, which will be dedicated to sports companies involved in the organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is underway.
 
Touching on the education sector, the Minister said Qatar is home to a very high-quality education system, ranking fifth globally on the quality of education index, according to the World Economic Forum. The country has allocated 2.8 % of its GDP for research & development, and is home to some of the world’s leading educational institutions,  such as Qatar Foundation, Qatar University, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, as well as leading international leading universities such as Texas A&M, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and Georgetown.
 
His Excellency urged the business community to tap investment opportunities offered by Qatar, noting that the state is providing important incentives in a number of priority sectors, including industry, agriculture, health, education, information technology, tourism and sports.
 
Highlighting incentives provided by the state, Sheikh Ahmed said non-Qatari investors can contribute up to 100% of investment projects in several economic sectors, while invested foreign capital is exempted from income tax for up to ten years from the date of operating an investment project. Qatar also offers key investment incentives, such as exempting imported large machinery and raw materials from taxes, and refraining from imposing restrictions on capital and profit repatriation, in addition to allowing the free transfer of company ownership
 
Turning to Singapore-Qatar relations, the Minister highlighted promising opportunities and a prosperous future for bilateral economic and trade ties, noting that Singapore ranks as Qatar’s 7th largest trade partner, with a total trade of 3.5 billion USD. Qatar’s exports to Singapore reached three billion USD in 2016. On the other hand, Singapore’s exports to Qatar stood at more than 350 million USD in 2016.
 
His Excellency voiced his hope that the forum will provide an opportunity to establish action plans aimed at increasing economic cooperation and bolstering bilateral trade and investment, as well as paving the way for partnerships and joint investments between Qatari businessmen and their Singaporean counterparts.
 
For his part, Singaporean Minister of Trade and Industry HE Mr. S. Iswaran lauded the distinguished relations between the two countries, noting that Qatar represents a strategic trading partner for Singapore, which imports the bulk of its natural gas needs from Qatar. The Singaporean minister also praised the economic forum, while highlighting promising bilateral opportunities and productive partnerships.
 
HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed the importance of the Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum and the role it can play in enhancing relations between the private sector in both countries. Sheikh Khalifa outlined the competitiveness of the Qatari and Singaporean economies, as well as similarities in several areas, which he said will contribute to successful partnerships across various sectors.
 
Sheikh Khalifa said the Qatari private sector is playing a pivotal role in economic development thanks to the laws and regulations enacted by the state. This has prompted the private sector to take the initiative in the wake of the illegal blockade imposed on Qatar, and overcame subsequent challenges thanks to the wise vision of its leadership and its cohesion with Qatari people.
 
Sheikh Khalifa welcomed Singaporean investments in Qatar, noting that Qatari businessmen aspire to enter into positive partnerships with their Singaporean counterparts, which will reflect positively on the economies of both countries across several sectors. He also stressed that these partnerships will bring added value to the economies of Qatar and Singapore who should capitalize on their prime geographical locations.
 
Mr. S.S. Teo, Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, also praised the Qatar- Singapore Economic Forum as Singapore’s ever largest economic forum with any Middle Eastern country, saying it contributes to the development of Qatari-Singaporean relations in the economic, trade and investment fields.
 
He added that the business sector in Singapore has gained insight into the enormous business prospects in various Qatari sectors and looks forward to building positive partnerships between businessmen and companies from both countries, noting that Qatar and Singapore enjoy excellent relations and are looking forward to developing them through shared political will.
 
The forum featured two workshops. The first touched on Qatar Challenges and Opportunities for Joint Projects & Investment, brought together Mr Nabeel Mohammed Al-Bouainain, CEO of Qatari Diar; Mr Hamad Al Mulla, CEO of Katara Hospitality; Mr Mohamed Al Sada, CEO of Hassad Food; and Mr Khalid Al Mana, executive Director of Qatar Development Bank.
 
The second workshop touched on transportation, the FiFA 2022 World Cup, programme delivery, challenges and opportunities for Qatari-Singaporean cooperation, and Qatar’s challenges in the energy sector.
The workshop was attended by Mr. Fahad Rashid al Kaabi, CEO of Manateq Company; Eng. Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Executive Director of Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy; Sheikh Meshal bin Jabor Al-Thani, Director of Energy Affairs at Ministry of Energy & Industry; and Mr. Abdulaziz Al Yafei, Director of Hamad Port.
 
The forum also featured bilateral meetings between businessmen from both countries to discuss investment opportunities as well as measures to bolster long-term economic cooperation, so to enable Qatari companies to draw lessons from their Singaporean counterparts’ success.
 
The Economic Forum is the latest in a series of key initiatives aimed at highlighting the competitiveness of Qatar’s economy and business environment, which will further contribute to attracting foreign direct investment.
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz S-Class model of 2016 because the window guide seals at the front and rear doors may not be bond accordingly.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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DOHA, 17th October 2017: Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in cooperation with Ministry of Trade in Indonesia, is organizing the Qatari-Indonesian Economic Forum on Wednesday, October 18 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jakarta. The forum comes within the framework of H.H. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Indonesia.
The event, which provides a valuable dialogue platform, will bring together senior Qatari and Indonesian government officials, investors and economic experts to gain insight into investment opportunities in the trade, energy, agriculture, and tourism sectors, as well as various other economic fields in both countries.
The forum seeks to promote and expand Qatari-Indonesian bilateral trade and economic relations and presents a prime opportunity for exchanging ideas and discussing issues of mutual interest for each nation’s private sector.  Participants will discuss potential partnerships, and how to take advantage of investment opportunities, both in Qatar and Indonesia.
The forum will serve to bolster commercial ties between the two countries, which traded 1.8 billion Qatari riyals worth of goods in 2016, the equivalent of USD 493 million. Furthermore, it will strengthen efforts to sign new bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding, in order to capitalize on these strong bilateral relations and create innovative investment opportunities.
The Qatari-Indonesian Economic Forum represents the latest in a series of initiatives launched by the MEC to showcase Qatar’s attractive business environment and competitive economy in a bid to attract further foreign direct investments.
During the forum, Ministry representatives will highlight the benefits of investing in Qatar and demonstrate how Indonesia’s private sector could take advantage of investment incentives offered by the government.
The forum will also represent an opportunity for Qatari companies to draw lessons from their Indonesian counterparts’ success, and discuss potential long-term economic cooperation ventures.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce invites investors, businessmen and companies to attend the economic forum.
Participants can visit the websitehttp://qatarindonesia.mec.gov.qa/ for more information on the forum, while businessmen looking to tap investment opportunities in Qatar are invited to contact the Ministry of Economy and Commerce by phone (+974 4042 2138) or Email: investinqatar@mec.gov.qa.
 

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al -Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, met with HE Mr. S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry, on Tuesday October 17, 2017, on the sidelines of the Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum, with the participation of Qatari and Singaporean businessmen.
The ministers highlighted friendly ties between Qatar and Singapore, and discussed the promotion of bilateral ties in the economic, trade and investment fields.
HE Sheikh Ahmed highlighted the competitiveness of Qatar’s economy, business environment and investment opportunities in Qatar.
Singapore ranks as Qatar’s 7th largest trade partner, with a total of 12.2 billion Qatari riyals ($3.4billion) worth of traded goods in 2016, the equivalent of 3.8% of Qatar’s total trade exchange around the world.
Qatari exports to Singapore amounted to approximately QR 10.9 billion in 2016, the equivalent to $3 billion, while the value of imports amounted to about QR 1.3 billion, the equivalent of $356 million.

 
HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, participated in the Qatari-Malaysian Economic Forum on Monday, October 16 in Kuala Lumpur. The forum, which was organized by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in cooperation with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Malaysia, comes within the framework of H.H. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Malaysia.
The forum brought together HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber and his counterpart Mr Rizal Faris bin Mohideen Abdul Kader President, Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (MCCM) & Vice President, National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM), along with more than 300 businessmen, investors, government officials, company executives, economic bodies and experts. Attendees gained insight into investment opportunities across various sectors, such as the trade, agriculture, tourism, and industry as well as other economic fields in both countries.
The forum sought to promote and expand Qatari-Malaysian trade and economic ties, and presented a prime opportunity for exchanging ideas and discussing potential joint investment ventures.
In a statement on the sidelines of the forum, HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, said the event provided an important platform to strengthen trade, economic and investment relations between Qatar and Malaysia and created partnership opportunities in various fields for the private sectors of both countries.
H.E. Sheikh Ahmed also underscored the friendly Qatari-Malaysian ties, which he said represent an important platform to develop successful economic and trade partnerships that will benefit the economies of both countries and bolster their development.
The Minister stressed the importance of outlining effective mechanisms and plans that align with Qatari-Malaysian investment objectives, and provide an opportunity for the development of successful projects in the interest of both countries and their people. Sheikh Ahmed added that Qatar represents an attractive destination for foreign investments thanks to its well-planned economic policies that have contributed to the development of a promising investment environment supported by a business-friendly legislative and administrative framework.
H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, said: “The political and economic relations between Qatar and Malaysia have gathered real momentum in recent years, as the two countries are important trade partners for each other. They exerted great efforts for removing all obstacles facing the establishment of joint investments, and offering incentives to attract investors and help develop business relations for the benefit of both countries’ economies.”
The forum hosted three workshops. The first touched on Qatar Challenges, Opportunities for Joint Projects and Investment which were the focus of discussions between Mr. Nabeel Mohammed Al-Bouainain, CEO of Qatari Diar; Mr. Hamad Al Mulla, CEO of  Katara Hospitality; Mr. Mohamed Al Sada, CEO of Hassad Food; and Mr. Khalid Al Mana, Executive Director of Qatar Development Bank (QDB).
The second workshop touched on transportation, the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qatar, Program Delivery, Challenges and Opportunities for Qatari-Malaysian Cooperation, and Qatar’s Challenges in the Energy Sector.
The workshop was attended by Mr Fahad Rashid al Kaabi, CEO of Manateq Company; Eng. Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Executive Director of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy;  Sheikh Meshal bin Jabor Al-Thani, Director of Energy Affairs at Ministry of Energy & Industry; and Mr Abdulaziz Al Yafei, Director of Hamad Port.
 
The third workshop, which brought together senior Malaysian officials, touched on investment opportunities in Malaysia.
The forum also featured B2B meetings between businessmen from both countries to discuss investments opportunities, as well as measures to bolster long-term economic cooperation so as to enable Qatari companies to draw lessons from their Malaysian counterparts’ success.
The forum built on Qatar’s long history of friendly relations with Malaysia to bolster commercial and investment ties between the two countries. Today, Malaysia ranks as Qatar’s 20th largest trade partner with a total of 3.3 billion Qatari riyals ($904 million) worth of traded goods in 2016, the equivalent of 2.85% of Qatar’s total trade exchange around the world.
The forum strengthened efforts to sign new agreements and memorandums of understanding to capitalize on these strong bilateral relations and create new innovative investment opportunities of interest to both countries.
 

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, met with HE Dr. Dato Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Malaysia’s Minister of International Trade and Industry on Monday October 16, 2017, on the sidelines of the Qatar- Malaysia Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur.
The ministers highlighted friendly ties between Qatar and Malaysia and discussed the promotion of bilateral ties in the economic, trade and investment fields.
Malaysia ranks as Qatar’s 20th largest trade partner with a total of 3.3 billion Qatari riyals ($904 million) worth of traded goods in 2016, the equivalent of 2.85% of Qatar’s total trade exchange around the world.

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DOHA, 16th October 2017: Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Singapore, is organizing the Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum on Tuesday, October 17 at Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. The forum comes within the framework of H.H. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Singapore.
The event, which provides a valuable dialogue platform, will bring together senior Qatari and Singaporean government officials, investors and economic experts to gain insight into investment opportunities in the trade, agriculture, tourism, industry, and services sectors, as well as various other economic fields in both countries.
The forum seeks to promote and expand Qatari-Singaporean trade and economic ties, and presents a prime opportunity for exchanging ideas and discussing issues of mutual interest for each nation’s private sector.  Participants will discuss potential partnerships, and how to take advantage of investment opportunities both in Qatar and Singapore.
The forum will build on Qatar’s long history of friendly relations with Singapore in a bid to bolster commercial ties between the two countries. Today, Singapore ranks as Qatar’s 7th largest trade partner with a total of 12.2 billion Qatari riyals ($3.4billion) worth of traded goods in 2016, the equivalent of 3.8% of Qatar’s total trade exchange around the world.
The forum will strengthen efforts to sign new agreements and memorandums of understanding to capitalize on these strong bilateral relations and create innovative investment opportunities.
The Qatar-Singapore Economic Forum represents the latest effort in a series of initiatives launched by the MEC to showcase Qatar’s attractive business environment and competitive economy in a bid to attract further foreign direct investments.
During the forum, ministry representatives will highlight the benefits of investing in Qatar and demonstrate how the private sector in Singapore can take advantage of investment incentives offered by the government.
The forum will also represent an opportunity for Qatari companies to draw lessons from their Singaporean counterparts’ success, and discuss potential long-term economic cooperation ventures.
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce invites investors, businessmen and companies to attend the economic forum.
Participants can visit the websitehttp://qatarsingapore.mec.gov.qa/ for more information on the forum while businessmen looking to tap investment opportunities in Qatar are invited to contact the Ministry of Economy and Commerce by phone (+974 4042 2138) or Email: investinqatar@mec.gov.qa.

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HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, and Dato’ Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed, Malaysia’s Minister of International Trade and Industry, attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding between Qatar Chamber and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia on Monday, October 16, 2017. The ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Malaysian-Qatari Economic Forum organized by the Qatari Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in cooperation with the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Kuala Lumpur.
HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber, and Mr Rizal Faris bin Mohideen Abdul Kader President, Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (MCCM) & Vice President, National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM), co-signed the memorandums.
The Memorandum of Agreement on the establishment of a Joint Business Council between Qatar Chamber and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia aims at fostering friendship and understanding between the business communities of the two nations, and promoting co-operation in the trade, investment, technology transfer, services and industrial sectors.
The joint Malaysian-Qatari Business Council will collate the necessary information on the economies of both countries, which will enhance bilateral investments. The council will also submit recommendations on how to develop economic and trade cooperation between the Qatari and Malaysia governments and encourage businessmen from both countries to participate in exhibitions organized in Qatar or Malaysia.
Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce also attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between Qatar Chamber and the National Chamber of Commerce Industry of Malaysia.
In line with the MoU, both parties will promote and facilitate measures to foster the diversification of commercial exchange and economic cooperation.
 
 
 
Each party will also provide businessmen and investors with information on the economies of both countries, including the volume of bilateral trade, exports and imports, and will be responsible for highlighting opportunities to enhance trade and investment cooperation between Qatari and Malaysian companies, and organizing exhibitions in both countries.
Under the MoU, both parties will exchange information on legislations regulating the commercial and investment sectors in both countries, as well as expertise relating to commercial arbitration and best practices in dispute resolution, in addition to other aspects of mutual interest.
The Memorandum of Agreement and MoU will contribute to the development of trade and economic relations between Qatar and Malaysia and enhance communication and cooperation between both nations’ private sectors. The MoU will also contribute to the development of mechanisms and measures for the establishment of joint investment projects.
The Qatar-Malaysia Economic Forum marks an important milestone in the development of economic, investment and trade cooperation between the two countries. During the forum, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce highlighted the advantages of investing in Qatar and how the Malaysian private sector can benefit from the incentives provided by the state to foreign investors. Participants also discussed the importance of developing long-term economic cooperation mechanisms, enabling Qatari companies to draw lessons from the success of their Malaysian counterparts.
The Minister of Economy and Commerce also attended the signing of several agreements between Qatar University and a number of Malaysian universities. Dr. Hassan Rashid Al-Derham, President of Qatar University, signed the agreements.
Malaysia ranks as Qatar’s 20th largest trade partner with a total of 3.3 billion Qatari riyals ($904 million) worth of traded goods in 2016, the equivalent of 2.85% of Qatar’s total trade exchange around the world

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with the National Car Company, dealer of Mazda vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mazda CX5 models of 2016-2017 over the possibility of dust entry through the tail door damper dust boots.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
 
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Teyseer Motors, dealer of Suzuki motorcycles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Suzuki Address model of 2016 because of a nut kick starter and ignition switch manufacturer defect.
 
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that dealers follow up on motorcycle defects and repair them.
 
The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
 
Call center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz GLC-Class model of 2017 because the coding in the ME control unit does not correspond to specification.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce will organize on Sunday, October 15, 2017 a workshop entitled “The Importance of Trademarks for Small and Medium Enterprises” at the auditorium of the Ministry’s building in Lusail area, from 9 am to 12 pm.
 
The workshop comes within the framework of the Ministry’s efforts to promote and protect intellectual property rights on a large scale and to achieve the desired benefit.
 
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce invites interested investors, companies, small and medium-sized enterprises and intellectual property agents to attend the workshop, which aims at raising awareness among investors about the importance of registering trademarks at the Ministry in order to protect their services and products against infringements.
 

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The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Mercedes Benz A-Class and CLA-Class models of 2016-2017 and C-Class, E-Class and GLC-Class models of 2015-2016 because the starting limiter could be overloaded during the staring procedure under certain conditions if the starter was blocked due to previous damage.
The ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.
The ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.
 
The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels:
Call Center: 16001
Email: info@mec.gov.qa
Social media accounts:
Twitter: @MEC_Qatar
Instagram: MEC_Qatar
Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar