(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Mohammad Shoeb / The Peninsula
The number of factories and other production facilities in Qatar doubled over the last six months after the siege compared to the same period last year, the Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada told The Peninsula on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of ‘Made in Qatar' exhibition, yesterday.
'Qatar has transformed the challenges into opportunities in almost every sector of the economy. If you look at some of the indicators of economic growth it is evident… For instance the number of factories and manufacturing facilities have doubled over the last six months after imposition of the blockade, compared to the same months last year, the Minister noted.
Dr Al Sada added: 'The sharp rise in the number of manufacturing units and production plants are the result of concerted efforts of all stakeholders particularly the initiatives such as ‘own a factory in 72 hours and others. Many existing companies have ramped up their production scale. A lot of manufacturers have already received plots of land, while others are expected to begin their productions soon.
Asked about the priority sector industries of the government, he said: 'All our industrial sectors are important for us, but as of now we are giving a little more focus on food, medicine and some other essential products and services which will enable us to transform the economy into a knowledge-based society.
The Minister said that the fifth edition of the Made in Qatar exhibition comes in circumstances where the economy of the country is growing at various levels, especially the industrial sector, following the unjust siege imposed against Qatar by three Gulf countries.
Dr Al Sada reiterated that there are indications of the revival of Qatar's industrial output despite the conditions of the unjust siege imposed on Qatar. Interest in the industry sector, the Minister said, was reflected in this year's edition of the exhibition, as the size of the area allocated for the exhibition increased from 15,000 square metres (sqm) to 30,000sqm, and the number of exhibitors have also doubled compared to the previous edition.
Al Sada underscored that the measures taken by the state to counter the siege did not just limit its impacts, but also resulted in a national industrial renaissance which has become a global competitor in quality and prices, noting the support provided by the government in this regard, including facilities and legislations in order to achieve self-reliance in all fields.
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