Doha, Qatar: The Qatari-Turkish private sector plays a vital role in strengthening relations between the two countries, which acquire a strategic nature in various fields, relations that have been translated into numbers and framed by the agreements concluded between the two brotherly countries on the ground.
Businessmen of the two countries, in exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), praised the visit of President of the Republic of Turkiye H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Qatar, saying it will increase economic cooperation between the two countries, which is reflected in the continuous rise in the pattern of commercial transactions and the volume of investments in both directions.
Trade volume grew between 2021 to 2022, by 17 percent, to reach QR8.1bn in 2022, compared to QR6.9bn in 2021. It is also expected that the volume of trade exchange between the two parties in 2025 will reach about QR18bn. Qatar is also considered one of the major investors in Turkiye with an investment volume of about $20bn.
The figures indicate that more than 711 Turkish companies operate in Qatar, including about 664 companies with Qatari and Turkish capital, 47 companies with 100 percent Turkish capital, and 15 Turkish companies in the free zone, in addition to more than 183 Qatari companies operating in Turkiye.
First Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber Mohamed bin Ahmed Twar Al Kuwari stressed that the Turkish market is at the forefront of the preferred investment destinations for Qatari investors, as the Qatari private sector has succeeded during the last period in building and establishing effective and multiple projects in it, which helped develop trade and investment exchange between the two brotherly countries, and enhance its future prospects. He added that Qatari-Turkish economic cooperation is large and very important, highlighting that there are many promising opportunities for cooperation between the Qatari and Turkish private sectors, and that the Qatari business environment is likely to attract more Turkish investments.
Chairman of Sadara Holding Ahmed Al Khalaf for his part characterized Qatari-Turkish economic relations as strong, noting that they are likely to grow further thanks to the close political cooperation between the two countries, which enhanced opportunities for building trade and investment alliances in various fields, especially in the Oil and gas sector, infrastructure, food security, tourism, and other promising sectors and opportunities in both countries. He added that the private sector is looking to capitalise on the visit of the Turkish President to enhance ties between the private sector in both countries, especially given that 200 businessmen accompanied the President on the visit.
He highlighted the existence of many investment opportunities in the two countries, which will reflect positively on the entire region, especially given that the attractive business environment in Qatari and Turkiye are likely to attract more investments.
He also noted that Turkiye can play an important role in food security thanks to its vast agricultural land, machinery, and other features that will encourage Qatari businesses to engage in agricultural investments in Turkiye and to enter agricultural alliances that can enhance Qatari food security. He pointed out that Qatar is a candidate for being a strategic holder of food products in the region, thanks to its advanced infrastructure, which helps it play this vital role, which will in turn improve the sector and its productivity.
He added that the Republic of Turkiye serves as a major pathway for agricultural and food products, and that strengthening Qatari-Turkish agricultural partnerships will have a positive impact on food security in the region and an improvement in its level of production.
