Doha: Qatar Chamber (QC) participated in the inaugural GCC Economic Forum, held under the theme ‘Integrating Trade and Diversifying Economic Clusters in Qatar.’ Organized by Qatar University in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), the forum brought together a distinguished group of policymakers, experts, and leaders from both the public and private sectors.
According to Qatar News Agency, in his speech at the opening session of the forum, Qatar Chamber’s Acting General Manager Ali Saeed Bu Sharbak Al Mansori emphasized that the State of Qatar places significant importance on trade and investment cooperation with its regional counterparts. He highlighted economic integration among GCC countries as a critical objective, noting that it provides substantial investment opportunities and promotes digital integration, facilitating the movement of goods and markets.
Al Mansori pointed out the challenges facing Gulf economic integration, which necessitate accelerated efforts to achieve this integration, establish a common market, standardize Gulf services and specifications, create industrial complexes, and further digital integration.
During the first session, Al Mansori presented a working paper that explored the main challenges and opportunities facing trade integration among GCC nations. He also stressed the importance of joint cooperation in building integrated production chains within sectors such as renewable energy and petrochemicals. The availability of modern infrastructure, including ports, highways, and free zones, presents an opportunity to accelerate trade integration and enhance regional economic collaboration.
Discussing the impact of regional trade policies on Qatar’s economy, Al Mansori noted that the GCC Customs Union has significantly reduced administrative complexities for Qatari exporters, facilitating access to Gulf markets. He emphasized that the GCC market is a crucial outlet for Qatar, allowing it to promote its products and services within a familiar and accessible regional environment.
QC’s Acting General Manager further underscored the importance of adopting targeted strategies to maximize the benefits of regional cooperation. These strategies include enhancing digital and customs integration across GCC countries, coordinating industrial and trade policies to foster synergies, supporting cross-border small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and developing joint financing mechanisms to support infrastructure and major industrial projects.