-2.jpg)
QBA meeting with Sir Gerald Grimstone, UK Minister of State for Investment
The Qatari Businessmen Association organized a business lunch in honor of the visit of Sir Gerald Grimstone, UK Minister of State for Investment, with the attendance of Mr. Simon Penny, the Commercial Commissioner for the Middle East. Both were received and welcomed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QBA chairman. The meeting aimed at discussing the current investment opportunities in the United Kingdom and what the Kingdom aims to achieve with Qatar as a strategic economic partner.
From the Qatari Businessmen Association, Mr. Hussein Al-Fardan, First Deputy attended the meeting, from QBA Board, Sheikh Hamad bin Faisal Al Thani, Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani and Mr. Sherida Al-Kaabi attended. From QBA Members, Mr. Nasser Sulieman al Haider, Mr. Khaled Al-Mannai, Mr. Nabil Abu Issa, Mr. Ashraf Abu Issa, Mr. Maqbool Khalfan, Mr. Mohamed Althaf, Mr. Mohamed Al Rabban and Mr. Dafer Halawa as well as Mrs. Sarah Abdullah, QBA Deputy GM attended.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim welcomed the Minister, highlighting the historical bilateral relations between Qatar and the United Kingdom, stressing out the need to support Qatari businessmen in search for the right potential investment projects in the UK, that would achieve real benefit for both parties, pointing out the importance of the British market for the Qatari Businessmen. Sheikh Faisal also spoke about the need to discuss new ideas to develop partnership and cooperation, noting that the Qatari private sector is an important and strategic partner in developing the national economy and can offer a lot to all of its partners, especially the United Kingdom.
For his part, Sir Gerald Grimstone, the UK Minister of Investment thanked QBA for organizing this meeting and for its continuous support in developing relations between the British business community and the Qatari business community, pointing out that this visit aims at following up on the potential investment cooperation between the two countries, that were discussed during his previous visit, stressing out that the United Kingdom had made many changes that would encourage foreign investors to search for possible investment opportunities, especially after Brexit and the development of independent trade policies through which it was able to provide many opportunities to enhance cooperation with UK partners. He also indicated during a note he delivered during the meeting, "The dramatic changes taking place in the Kingdom would help in sharing experiences and innovations with a strategic partner such as Qatar, with relations that extend to a long history full of investment and economic successes."
During the meeting, The Qatari side also spoke about the favorable investment climate in Qatar and how the government supports foreign investors, they also spoke about Qatar's preparations for the 2022 World Cup and how British companies are providing support to Qatari companies in these preparations.