Doha, October 10 (QNA) – HE Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia Zulkifli Hasan revealed Monday that trade volume between Indonesia and Qatar in the first half of 2022 reached $758 million, showing an increase of 29%, compared with $587.6 million in the same period of the last year.
Speaking at the Qatar-Indonesia Business Forum, which was organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Doha under the title “Promoting Trade and Investment between Qatar and Indonesia”, HE the Indonesian Minister of Trade pointed to a good opportunity to increase trade exchange between the two countries in light of Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022, and Indonesia’s hosting the G20 Summit in November.
HE the Minister praised Qatar’s successful investments in Indonesia, including Qatar National Bank, Ooredoo and Nebras Power, which encourages Qatari investors to explore the investment opportunities available in Indonesia and partnerships with the Indonesian private sector, especially in investment and tourism. He called on Qatari businessmen to attend the 37th Trade Expo Indonesia, which will be held from Oct. 19 to 23, 2022.
For his part, Qatar Chamber First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari praised the close relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Indonesia at all levels, pointing to their interest to further enhance their economic and commercial ties, facilitate the establishment of joint investments, and offer more investment incentives for the benefit of the two countries’ economies.
He indicated that Indonesia is an important trade partner to Qatar, noting that their bilateral trade volume grew by 78% from QR 1.8 billion in 2016 to QR3.22 billion last year.
He added that the Indonesian labor in Qatar constitutes an important element in strengthening the cooperation between the two countries, and it has positive contributions to the renaissance witnessed by the country. Meanwhile, he noted the Qatari investments in Indonesia in various sectors like communication, banking, trading, and others, while there are many Indonesian companies that invest in Qatar with Qatari partners in a variety of sectors.
Qatar Chamber First Vice-Chairman noted that the State has an ambitious development plan in line with its National Vision 2030 that focuses on various sectors, affirming that Qatar has become one of the preferred destinations for global investments and enjoys a unique investment climate, attractive legislation, and stable political and social status, in addition to the distinguished geographical location.
In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Kuwari said that the business sectors in Qatar are looking forward to boosting relations with their Indonesian counterparts and exploring the investment climate and opportunities available there, especially since Indonesia is a promising market that offers a multitude of opportunities that attract Qatari investors and is an important gateway to the Southeast Asian region. In addition, Indonesia is rich in natural resources and a host of investment opportunities in various sectors such as tourism, real estate development, mining, food security, services, and halal trade.
He added that the Qatar-Indonesia Business Forum represents an opportunity to develop Qatari and Indonesian partnerships, especially since Qatar is a distinguished investment destination for Indonesia, and this was confirmed by the Indonesian Trade Minister when he expressed the desire for Qatar to be a regional center for Indonesian goods.
For his part, Assistant Undersecretary for Commerce Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saleh Al Khualifi said that cooperation between the two countries has witnessed a remarkable development, calling upon the Qatari and Indonesian business sectors to establish successful investment partnerships and to take advantage of the available economic opportunities that distinguish our two friendly countries.
Al Khualifi indicated that the State has worked to strengthen existing commercial partnerships, create new ones, and attract more direct and indirect investments, especially in advanced sectors that support economic diversification in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
He referred to the latest estimates of the World Bank that anticipated that the Qatari economy is expected to grow by about 4.9% in 2022, and the International Monetary Fund estimated that expected the non-oil sector to rise by about 4.1% compared to the oil and gas sector.
On his part, HE Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar Ridwan Hassan said that the Qatar-Indonesia Business Forum represents a good opportunity for business sectors to develop their relations and review forging partnerships and alliances, stressing the depth of relations between both countries at all sectors and the mutual visits between both countries leaderships and the agreements signed between them.
On the sidelines of the forum, Indonesian companies held an exhibition to showcase handcrafts, foodstuffs, and other products.
(QNA)