QBA Explores Investment Opportunities with French Organization MEDEF International
The Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) organized a business luncheon in honor of the visit of a delegation of French businessmen from MEDEF International, headed by Mr. Arnaud Piéton, Chairman of the France-Qatar Business Council at MEDEF. The meeting was attended by H.E. Mr. Arnaud Pescheux, the French Ambassador to the State of Qatar.
From The Qatari side, the meeting was headed by H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association, and attended by Board Members Mr. Sherida Al Kaabi and Mr. Saud Al Mana. Also, from QBA members Mr. Salah Al Jaidah, Mr. Khaled Al Mannai, Mr. Mohammed Mutaz Al Khayyat, Mr. Ramez Al Khayyat, Mr. Nabil Abu Issa, Mr. Maqbool Habeeb Khalfan, Mr. Ashraf Abu Issa, Mr. Abdulsalam Abu Issa, Sheikh Khalid bin Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Mr. Faisal Al Mana and Mr. Youssef Ibrahim Almahmoud, along with Ms. Sarah Abdallah, QBA General Manager attended.
Distinguished Relations
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of QBA, welcomed the French delegation and spoke about the longstanding historical relations between the State of Qatar and the French Republic. He recalled that the first international visit made by the QBA after its establishment in 2004 was to France, which was among the first countries with which the Association signed cooperation agreements with its organizations.
Sheikh Faisal emphasized the keenness of Qatari businessmen to explore investment and cooperation opportunities with their French counterparts, both in Qatar and in France.
He further noted that last year, QBA signed an agreement with MEDEF International and several universities on a Memorandum of Understanding designed to facilitate interaction between startups and business leaders in both countries, supporting the establishment of high value-added projects.
For his part, Mr. Arnaud Piéton, Chairman of the France-Qatar Business Council at MEDEF International, expressed his appreciation to QBA for hosting the meeting and affirmed that the organization seeks to intensify visits and exchanges between business leaders from both countries to explore cooperation and enhance commercial relations. He noted that this visit included a selection of French companies active in Qatar in sectors such as energy, environment, and others.
Mr. Piéton added that both sides agreed to work together on joint projects whether in Qatar, France or International Markets including, in key sectors such as energy, electricity, water, environment, and various service-related projects.
Economic Development
During the luncheon, QBA members spoke about the economic development Qatar is witnessing, emphasizing the Association’s role in studying investment frameworks between both countries and in enhancing partnership and collaboration opportunities.
The French side highlighted the broad prospects for cooperation in several areas, including healthcare and medical technology, tourism, industry, smart city solutions, and other innovative technology fields.
For their side, QBA members reaffirmed that Qatar’s economy is moving firmly towards diversification, in line with the National Development Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030, noting Doha’s strong attractiveness to foreign investors — which has drawn hundreds of trade delegations to the country in recent years.
They stressed that joint cooperation between the Qatari and French private sectors serves the interests of both economies, as the exchange of expertise, enhanced coordination, and collaboration in new and innovative sectors will enable both sides to move forward with their strategic development plans.
About MEDEF International
The Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) is the largest employer federation in France. Founded in 1998, it represents over 750,000 member companies, 90% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Each year, MEDEF International organizes numerous business delegations to various countries to promote and strengthen economic relations.
The visiting delegation to QBA included major French companies such as TotalEnergies, Technip Energies, Airbus, Audacia, and Veolia.