QBA meeting with Mrs. Jane Harman, Former Member of US House of Representatives and her accompanying delegation

On the sidelines of the Doha Forum, where many prominent delegations participate, the Qatari Businessmen Association held a business lunch with Mrs. Jane Harman, Former US house of representative, leading a delegation of senior US diplomatic and economic figures. The meeting aimed at enhancing means of joint cooperation with the United States and exploring opportunities and investment sectors in both countries.

From QBA, The meeting was headed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QBA Chairman. Mr. Hussain Al-Fardan, QBA first deputy also attended. From the Board, Mr. Sherida Al-Kaabi and Mr. Saud Al-Mana attended while from QBA Members Mr. Khalid Al-Mannai, Sheikh Faisal bin Fahd Al Thani, Mr. Nabil Abu Issa, Mr. Maqbool Habib Khalfan, Sheikh Mohammad bin Faisal Al Thani, Mr. Yousef Al Mahmoud, Mr. Ihsan Al Khaiymi and Mr. Shejan M. O., Representative of Lulu Group attended, as well as Ms. Sarah Abdullah, QBA Deputy GM. The Qatari Businesswomen’s Association also participated in the meeting, where board members, Ms. Awatif Al-Dafaa, Ms. Amal Al-Athem, and Ms. Mashael Al-Ansari attended as well.

As for the US delegation, it included figures from the Financial and educational sectors, Mrs. Paula Dobriansky, who served as Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was a Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO. Ms. Megan Sullivan, former Deputy National Security Adviser, Ms. Anne Patterson, Board Member of the Qatar-US Business Council, Mrs. Maureen Quinn, former US ambassador to Qatar and current university professor at the University of New York. The delegation also included Mr. Robert Dickey, who owns one of the largest law firms in the United States.

At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Faisal welcomed the guests, expressing his happiness with this meeting, praising the strong bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the United States, which have developed to strategic partnership in all sectors. The United States is the largest direct global investor and the largest trading partner of Qatar.

On her part, Mrs. Jane Harman expressed her happiness with QBA warm welcome, stressing out that the Qatari-US relations are based on solid foundations and a strategic partnership, and that she aims through this visit to exchange views and ideas on how to develop these relations to meet the aspirations of the two countries.
For his part, Mr. Hussein Al-Fardan called on the American side to invest in the State of Qatar and the need to increase the presence of American companies and create new partnerships, praising the expertise and global competitive advantages of Qatari companies.

Mrs. Paula Dobriansky added that the State of Qatar has developed remarkably and has the capabilities that qualify it to attract the American investor to its markets. She also talked about the sectors in which the two parties can cooperate, such as education, and stressed that the American delegation is fully prepared to serve as a promotional tool for the Qatari market and culture.

During the meeting, the attendees discussed the role of the Qatari private sector in supporting the country's strategic plans and its constant keenness to search for partnerships and study investment opportunities in global markets, especially the American market, which has the confidence of the Qatari investor.