Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and top officials taking a tour of Baladna, in Qatar.
Doha: The US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross arrived in Qatar yesterday to discuss key initiatives between Qatar and the US. Secretary Wilbur Ross, along with the Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, also visited Baladna, the leading and largest dairy producer in Qatar.
“US Secretary of Commerce @SecretaryRoss arrived in #Qatar today to discuss commercial and economic initiatives between the US and Qatar. He toured @Baldnaco to discuss how US businesses have contributed to dairy production in #Qatar #USAinQatar,” William Grant, Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Qatar and Chargé d’Affaires, tweeted yesterday.
Baladna, a Qatari public shareholding company under incorporation, recently announced that its subsidiary Baladna Food Industries (BFI), Qatar’s best-loved and market-leading dairy and beverage brand, has made a significant investment in new, state-of-the-art facilities at its Umm Al-Hawaya dairy farm. The investment comes as Baladna has announced an IPO to enable Qatari citizens and corporates to share in the company’s rapid growth and expansion.
Following the blockade in June 2017, BFI embarked on an extensive program of significant investment in infrastructure development, plant and machinery to increase production capacity and achieve self-sufficiency in its dairy and juice production.
BFI’s facilities at Umm Al-Hawaya now consist of two separate dairy farms, six milking areas, forty barns, three dairy and juice factories, a plastics factory, an animal feed processing facility, a water treatment facility, and a compost processing facility.
The US Secretary of Commerce, who is hereafter a whirlwind Asia-Pacific tour, is expected to hold high-level discussions in Qatar.
The past week witnessed a series of Qatar-US discussions, at several levels, that reinforced the relations between the two countries. US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin concluded a two-day visit to Qatar on November 5. Secretary Mnuchin met with the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; and Minister of Finance, H E Ali Shareef Al Emadi. Secretary Mnuchin also held separate meetings with H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, Qatar Investment Authority CEO Mansour Ibrahim Al Mahmoud; Qatar Central Bank Governor H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Saoud Al Thani; and H E Attorney General Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri.
