'Made in Qatar' Seminar Reviews SMIs Support in Qatar

Doha, January 16 (QNA) - A seminar on the mechanisms of supporting small and medium industries (SMIs) started here on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 'Made in Qatar' exhibition, with the participation of Qatar Chamber for Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Enterprise Qatar, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). The seminar aims to create a platform of dialogue and make recommendations to drive the Qatari private sector, particularly in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) so as to help diversify sources of national income in order to achieve sustainable development, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. Speaking at the seminar, QCCI Chairman HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani said that the State of Qatar has come to realize that SMEs constitute a major tool to achieve economic and social development, diversify sources of income, create investment and economic opportunities in sectors other than oil and gas, noting that Enterprise Qatar was created to meet that end along with QDB, which offers low-interest financial support. HE QCCI chairman added that the mentioned efforts deserve appreciation but stressed they are not enough to create a strong and competitive industrial sector, especially in the light of the lack of land needed to meet the growing demand for the establishment of industrial projects, underlining the lack of support for Qatari products and not giving them priority in government procurement is a key impediment. He added that the lacks of industrial coordination between the GCC countries, the absence of policies and measures that can expand investment opportunities, and not implementing the principle of specialization or distributing industries in accordance with relative advantages of each country are all obstacles hindering the establishment of a strong industrial sector. HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani added that the seminar comes at a time when GCC aspires to raise the contribution of the industrial sector in GDP from 10 to 25 percent by 2020, noting that this coincides with GCC general secretariat's expectations that Gulf industrial investment would nearly reach one trillion dollars upon the completion of industrial cities in Gulf countries by 2020, compared to around $323 billion at the moment. He added that GCC states are working to promote the industrial sector in their national strategies and plans in order not to rely on hydrocarbon resources as a sole source of income. The exhibition launched today in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Industry, and with a strategic sponsorship by Qatar Development Bank (QDB). Around 1600 domestic industrial companies participate in the three-day exhibition, which is held at Qatar International Exhibition Centre. According to the exhibition's website, it aims to contribute to building the national economy and enhancing the performance of different sectors in industry, which is considered an essential foundation to diversify sources of national income and make best use of available resources so as to preserve the interests of future generations. A series of lectures and seminars by industry experts accompanies the event so as to tackle challenges that face the industrial sector and discuss means of activating industry in GCC states. (QNA)