QATAR'S manufacturing sector has witnessed a remarkable expansion and growth in the past year, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of the difficult operating environment due to pandemic outbreak, many factories were established last year, which helped in the creation of hundreds of jobs in the country.
The total investments of factories in 2021 amounted to about QR2.1bn, contributing to the creation of 2,581 new jobs in industrial facilities, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The number of factories operating and registered in Qatar to date has reached more than 800 factories, while the total number of licenses issued to establish industrial projects to date reached 635.
The investments of the operating manufacturing factories also exceeded QR235bn, with 69 percent of the total investments directed towards the petro-chemical, iron, and aluminium industries. The indus-trial facilities established in 2021 contributed to the launch of new products, bringing the total number of products manufactured in Qatar to 845 products.
The Ministry has taken many initiatives to promote industries and entrepreneurs. Recently, the Ministry announced the launch of 1000 Opportunities Initiative, which comprised of an electronic platform within the Single Window Platform.
It allows local investors to view the existing and future opportunities and projects that would meet their various needs in terms of products or services provided by local private sector companies. This initiative is expected to contribute to provide sig-nificant investment and economic opportunities that would benefit the industrial sector, which has seen remarkable development during the past years.
This initiative allows local investors to avail investment opportunities offered by major foreign and local companies operating in Qatar.
The ministry is also organizing a campaign to support Qatari products through various means of communication and in sales outlets. The National Development Strategy 2018-2022 has also played an important role in boosting Qatar’s manufacturing sector.
This strategy has set a legislative and regulatory framework that stimulates foreign investment, and strengthens partnership between the public and private sectors.
The International Monetary Fund expects the Qatari economy to witness remarkable growth of about 3.2 percent in 2022, compared to about 2 percent in 2021, which reflects the growth of all eco-nomic sectors in the country.
Due to the proactive measures and initiatives by the government and con-cerned departments, Qatar has cemented its position as a major economic hub in the region
