His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and His Excellency Krzysztof Baszczyk, Minister of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Poland, inaugurated yesterday the Qatari-Polish New Technology Business Forum. The forum is held on the sidelines of the visit of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, to the friendly Republic of Poland.
In his opening speech, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, emphasized the deep relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Poland. These relations are built on mutual trust and constructive cooperation across various fields. He noted that the development of these relations over the years is due to the shared will of the leadership of both countries to develop and enhance cooperation, foster economic relations, and stimulate mutual investments in various fields.
His Excellency pointed out that the Qatari-Polish New Technology Business Forum represents an important opportunity to explore the prospects of joint cooperation between the two sides, discuss, and identify cooperation and investment opportunities in various fields and sectors that serve the developmental directions of the two countries.
During the forum, the advantages of the business environment in the State of Qatar and the Republic of Poland were highlighted, and ways to enhance cooperation in the technological, economic, and commercial fields were discussed, aiming to develop the strong trade partnership existing between the two countries.
The forum also reviewed the achievements made by the State of Qatar over the past years since the launch of Qatar National Vision 2030, and the significant developments in the country's infrastructure. These developments have greatly contributed to the economic development of vital sectors in the country, resulting in Qatar ranking 11th globally in overall competitiveness, according to the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) for 2024.
The forum witnessed the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two sides in various fields, aiming to enhance joint collaboration and enable the private sector to access investment opportunities in both countries.
Polish businessmen, investors, and companies were invited to benefit from Qatar's advanced digital ecosystem, economic environment, and investment opportunities available for foreign investments, and to establish new partnerships in several vital sectors.
The forum was attended by members of the Qatari delegation accompanying His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Industry, including representatives from the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Qatari Businessmen Association, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Investment Promotion Agency, the Qatar Financial Centre, the Free Zones Authority, QTerminals, Meeza, and the Qatar Science and Technology Park, as well as a number of representatives of commercial chambers, leading businessmen, investors, and representatives of major Qatari and Polish companies specializing in various fields.
It is worth mentioning that the Republic of Poland ranked as the 21st trade partner of the State of Qatar in 2023. The volume of trade exchange between the two sides has grown significantly over the past three years by 80%, reaching USD 1.3 billion in 2023. There are 38 Polish companies operating in the Qatari market, 32 of which are in partnership with a Qatari partner, one is entirely Polish-owned, four operate under the Qatar Financial Centre, and one operates in the free zones.
