Qatari Businessmen Association, Minister of Economy of Portugal Discuss Bilateral Relations

The Qatari Businessmen Association received the Portuguese Minister of Economy, H E Pedro Reis, in the presence of H E Paulo Neves Pocinho, Ambassador of Portugal to Doha, on the sidelines of his visit, which aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, specifically in the economic field.

The Minister was welcomed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QBA Chairman, in the presence of QBA Board member, Saud Omar Al Mana, along with QBA members including Khaled Al Mannai, Salah Al Jaidah, Maqbool Habib Khalfan, Yousef Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Muhammad Althaf, along with Sarah. Abdullah, QBA Deputy General Manager

At the beginning of the meeting, H E the Minister spoke about the economic reforms undertaken by Portugal, to strengthen the business environment and stimulate economic growth. He also stressed out that the Portuguese government is working to implement comprehensive tax reforms, which include simplifying the tax system and reducing taxes on companies with the aim of attracting foreign investments and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. The Minister also spoke about the investment file, explaining that Portugal seeks to attract more Qatari investments.

He highlighted a number of large projects offered for investment in various fields such as renewable energy, technology, and infrastructure. There is a project to establish a new airport, a high-speed train project, the privatization of the National airways Company, in addition to huge housing projects.

These projects represent promising opportunities for partnership between Qatari and Portuguese companies, where both parties can benefit from common experiences and enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.

In this context, the Minister called on Qatari investors to consider these investment opportunities, stressing out that Portugal offers a stable and transparent investment environment, with attractive incentives for investors. He expressed his hope that these meetings would be the beginning of strengthening economic cooperation between Qatar and Portugal, which would benefit both sides. For his part, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QBA Chairman welcomed H E the Minister, and also spoke about the effective role played by the Qatari private sector in supporting and developing the national economy. He pointed out that the Qatari private sector is highly competitive and is present in many global markets and works in a variety of sectors such as energy, infrastructure, real estate, technology, and finance, and contributes significantly to achieving Qatar National Vision. Sheikh Faisal also expressed the interest of the Qatari private sector in the investment opportunities available in Portugal, especially the large projects proposed by the Portuguese government. He discussed the possibility of Qatari companies entering these projects, highlighting the importance of facilitating the entry visa procedures, especially for senior staff, so that they can follow up on business progress and project development, noting that Portugal offers a stimulating investment environment characterized by stability and transparency, which makes it an attractive destination for Qatari investors. Sheikh Faisal confirmed that cooperation between the private sectors in the two countries could contribute to achieving further economic growth and sustainable development.

He also called for organizing a delegation to visit Portugal to enhance ongoing dialogue and communication between Qatari and Portuguese businessmen and to explore more joint investment opportunities, which would contribute to consolidating economic relations between Qatar and Portugal.