QBA Holds Fruitful Meetings With German Companies

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: The Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) organised a visit to Berlin, during which it was able, in cooperation with the German industry and Commerce Office in Qatar (AHK), to hold many fruitful meetings with various government entities and giant German companies such as Siemens Group and the European software SAP.

The visit also focused on a number of sectors such as technology, AI, healthcare, tourism and industry, QBA's delegation also conducted many interviews with German officials such as the State Secretary at the federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action-BMWK, the Governing mayor of Berlin, and senior officials in the tourism sector. The German-Qatari Joint Task force for trade and investment also held its meeting at the headquarters of the Federation of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry during the visit.

From QBA Board members who participated in the visit: Sheikh Hamad bin Faisal Al Thani, Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Saud Omar Al Mana, and from QBA members: Omar Hussein Al Fardan, Salah Al Jaidah, Sheikh Turki bin Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Nabil Abu Issa, Sheikh Tamim bin Faisal bin Qasim Al Thani, Yousuf Ibrahim Yousuf Al Mahmoud, and Hakan Ozdemir, as well as Sarah Abdullah, QBA Deputy GM, in addition to Ilef Ajra, German Industry and Commerce Office in Qatar, also attended.

The delegation of QBA started its meetings in the German capital, Berlin, with a visit to the headquarters of SAP, where they were briefed on the company's modern technology in the field of software, which contributes to the development of commercial and service businesses. The delegation also met with German startups who pitched their projects in the fields of robots, Electric aircraft and drones for medical purposes.

During the first day of the visit, QBA delegation met with major German Associations specialised in the tourism sector, such as the Federal government coordinator for maritime economy and tourism at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action-BMWK, Visit Berlin, German Tourism Association (DTV) and German Medical Wellness Association (DMWV)

Omar Hussein Al Fardan, QBA member and Vice Chairman of the Qatari Hotels Association (QHA), said during the meeting that the tourism sector in Qatar is one of the 5 priority sectors in the strategy of diversifying the Qatari economy, and it provides profitable opportunities for developers and investors, noting that the tourism strategy in Qatar 2030 aims to attract around 6 million global tourists annually by 2030.

For his part, Sheikh Turki bin Faisal Al Thani indicated that the Qatari Hotels Association includes representatives from the private sector and also Katara Hospitality, which is an organization that has local and international investments, and is considered one of the world's leading companies in tourism.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to prepare QHA participation in the ITB Berlin exhibition, the largest tourism exhibition specialized in tourism in the world, during March 2025.

QBA organised a business dinner in honor of distinguished businessmen in Germany, in the presence of the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franzisca Giffey, who is also a Senator for economy, energy, and public enterprises.

The second day of the visit included the visit of QBA delegation to the headquarters of the Siemens in Berlin, where they were briefed on the Siemens City of the Future“Siemensstadt Square”, which is a smart, environmentally friendly city currently being established in Berlin.

The German Qatari Joint Task Force which was established during the official visit of H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Germany in 2018, held its fourth meeting where a number of Qatari and German JTF members attending.

Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin Khalid Al Thani, head of the German Qatari Joint Task force from the Qatari side, expressed his happiness to participate in this meeting, stressing out that the Qatari investor is fully aware of the great potential that Germany enjoys, adding:“We expect from Germany“As a strategic partner, that bilateral cooperation will add value to the Qatari economy, and benefit from its experience in enhancing our capabilities and transferring knowledge to the Qatari market.”

QBA delegation reviewed a number of investment opportunities presented by about 12 German companies, including startups and family companies, in various medical, industrial, and technological fields, which rely on modern technology in their work.

Sheikh Hamad bin Faisal Al Thani, QBA board member stated that there are important opportunities that will be studied and followed up in the near future, stressing that QBA's visit to Germany achieved its goals by promoting Qatar as a country that enjoys all the elements of successful and secure investment.

QBA delegation concluded their 3 days visit by a meeting with the State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action-BMWK, His Excellency Udo Filipp, who welcomed the delegation, and talked about the successful visit of the German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck, to Doha recently, which led to a long-term contract in the field of energy.

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