Carlos Xavier, Corporate Affairs at Portuguese Business Council (PBC) in Qatar.
Doha, Qatar: The hospitality sector will witness the launch of new two Portuguese firms in Qatar towards the end of this year, said an official.
Companies including ‘Asset Global Partners’, a revolution in the real estate and holidays market, and ‘The Manager’, one of the best mentorship firms for restaurants in the Portuguese-speaking market will see its expansion into the Qatari market remarked Carlos Xavier, Corporate Affairs at Portuguese Business Council (PBC) in Qatar.
Speaking to The Peninsula in an interview, he said: “During the past years, Portugal has been a great hub for tech companies, influenced by the web summit and the quality of our universities and the younger generation start new businesses with great potential to be successful internationally.”
The official asserted that the European Union (EU) investment funds also help transform the current firms to boost their production facilities and remain very competitive in the markets.
Xavier noted that various industries would attract the Qataris to invest in Portugal and some of these companies would be considered on a large scale like the international stage, but they have grown to dominate their particular niche in the industry.
“Portugal is a country of so much potential increasingly international companies are coming to take advantage of some of the conditions that the country has to offer. Fantastic weather, good communication network, roads, ports, airports, low salaries, great food, and wonderful people,” the official said. Albeit having merely around 1,500 Portuguese residents in the country, events unfolded in Qatar saw active participation from the PBC and Portuguese community groups to support and volunteer, especially during the FIFA World Cup, which took place last year in the country.
“We have been present at the Qatar construction exhibition where we get lots of people reaching us for information on how to start a business in Portugal and that shows us that, for several reasons, creates an appetite for foreign companies to move there, Xavier said adding that Portugal is one of the least bureaucratic countries to obtain residency and start a company.
However, the experiences and insights during these events fostered the Portuguese community to take part in most of the exhibitions showcasing their innovative and potential business ideas to the world as Xavier outlines that “Qatar can be a fantastic starting point.”
“We will be present at the Expo23 with a Portuguese pavilion and some representative companies related to the themes of agriculture, innovation, and sustainability and will make our representation to be noted and assure that is going to be a very exciting 6 months,” he said.
The PBC in cooperation with the Embassy of Portugal in Qatar anticipates opening the pavilion to highlight various sustainable and horticultural products and services.
Xavier underscored that “This will be a huge effort for the PBC team in terms of manpower and logistics, while the energy sector will do well to prevail.”
“We want to extend our presence in every exhibition with the potential to promote our services and bring companies and products to show to Qatar and next year we will take a Qatari delegation to Portugal,” he mentioned.
With the expansion of the new branches and offices in the market, the Portuguese communities can be expected to rise in the coming years said the official.
He said that “We continue to be one of the most sought-after workforces in the world. It is our know-how, professionalism, respect for others, and knowing how to be in any environment, religion, ethnicity, or society.
“By anticipating growth and investing in new technologies and industries in Qatar, I believe that the Portuguese will be attentive to being part of this future,” Xavier added.
