The Qatari Businessmen Association General Assembly
The Qatari Businessmen Association’s General Assembly was convened on the 22nd of june 2009 at QBA’s headquarters ,the meeting was headed by Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani QBA’s Chairman in the attendance of QBA Deputy Chairman Mr.Hussien Ibrahim AL Fardan,QBA’s Secretary General Mr.Issa Abu Issa,and QBA’s Board Memebers:Mr.Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Misnad ,Mr.Omar Bin Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Mana, Sheikh Khalid Bin Thani Al Thani,Sheikh Hamad Bin Faisal Al Thani and QBA Members:Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Thani,Mr.Nasser Al Kaabi,Mr.Ibrahim Al Jaidah,Mr.Ibrahim Al Neama,Mr.Maqboul Habib Khalfan,Mr.Khalid Al Mannai,Mr.Nasser Sulieman Al Haidar,Mr.Marzouq Al Shamlan,Eng.Ali Abdul Reeda Mashadi.
After ascertaining the quorum qba's secretary general delivered the following report: Five years following its creation, we have the pride and pleasure to welcome you to the general assembly of the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA). I would like to express on my behalf and on behalf of QBA members our sincere grief on the loss of H.E Sheikh Fahed Bin Jassim Al Thani the minister of business and trade as he was a great example for dedication at work and he was a constant supporter of the Qatari private sector. First as mentioned in the statutes, this kind of meetings is meant as a milestone in the life of our association, where we can take the opportunity to assess what have been achieved so far, and what should be done for the future.
During this meeting we will present you with a thorough report regarding the association’s functioning and activity during its first years of existence. Yet, before letting the numbers talk, it should be emphasized that the first and maybe best QBA’s deed is that it managed to impose its name. Our association has succeeded in gaining the recognition and respect of local as well as foreign economic and politic actors. And that happened thanks to the constant support of the economic public entities in Qatar lead by HIS Highness the Emir and, to the competence and dynamism of its members, and to a qualified staff.
Now that our association has went through its first years, it’s up to us to keep on the effort to lead it to maturity, where it should become the institution that cannot be ignored when it comes to business, investment opportunities, and economic growth in Qatar.
At times where a severe financial and economical crisis is storming the world, we thank god for giving our beloved Qatar the natural wealth an d the wise leadership that protected it from the huge effects of the crisis, and as the preferred answer to facing the repercussions of this financial situation seems to be more interaction and cooperation between public and private sectors, institutions such as QBA are more needed than ever. For it’s in the very core of QBA’s mission to lay a bridge between private and public sectors, to put, in one hand, the expertise and experience of Qatar’s most pro-eminent businessmen at the service of the economic and social Qatari community, and to translate, in the other hand, the orientations and strategies planned by the government into the private sector. That’s what QBA was doing by wise choice before the crisis, and now every country in the world will need its own QBA in order to deal with the current hardships.
Just as QBA was up to the task in the period of rapid economic growth and prosperity that blossomed practically the same time it was born, QBA will do its share in face of the challenges raised by the current recession, to consolidate Qatar’s economical and social fabric in hard times, and to improve its growth and development in better ones.
1. Conferences: since its establishment QBA has participated and organized more than 50 local regional and international economic conferences and forums .with the aim of promoting Qatar as a business and professional hub in the region and introducing an d approaching modern economic issues and tendencies, following are several business forums that QBA has organized:
· The 9th Arab Businessmen Federation Business Forum.
· Connecting the leadership forum
· Conference on corporate governance
· Investment Funds Conference
· 2nd Qatar Economic Forum
· Networking events for financial professionals
· The third Businesswomen in Islamic countries Business forum
· The 2nd Arab-South American business Forum.
2. Delegations: QBA has hosted more than 450 highly distinguished business foreign delegations that vary in representation from heads of states, prime ministers ,ministers of business and trade, chairpersons of business associations and chambers of commerce, from a spectrum of countries that cover the international business community such as, germany,france,usa,Italy,spain,uk,turkey,belguim,Switzerland,
Romania,Cyprus,japan,china,singapore,korea,Malaysia,U.A.E,Bahrain,Kuwait,Iraq,Lebanon,Egypt,Syria,Palestine,Jordan,morocco,and Algeria.
3. Seminars: a business service aiming at raising the business and professional conscience in the Qatari community and introducing international and regional business issues and trends:
· upgrading local technical and managerial skills,
· Future of services in Qatar following the order of WTO & FTA,
· Seminar on the challenges and strategic business opportunities that face the Qatari Private Sector
4. MOU’s: within its role of promoting and introducing the Qatari private sector to the international business community and creating links and opening gateways for qatar’s business community with its counterparts in the regional and international arena qba has signed (number) of MOUs with business associations and chambers of commere from:germany,france,spain,Italy,south America,korea,singapore…
5. Research and economic reports:qba has participated in issuing business reports promoting Qatar as a booming robust economy and highlighting its private sectors role in the development through supporting and collaborating with famous economic monthlies such as: fortune,oxford business group, business week.
6. Initiatives: QBA has engaged in initiatives that develop interaction and cooperation among key sectors and associations that serve the same goal in creating a healthy business culture and supporting the business development of Qatar such as the cooperation with Carnegie Mellon business school in their yearly entrepreneurship program, an MOU with the board responsible for the development of SME’s in Singapore, and the collaboration and fostering of AIESEC.
7. Within its role of creating a link between the members of the private sector and the Qatari government and business authorities ,qba has participated in several committees initiated by the ministry of economy and commerce such as:the committee for activating economic policies the committee for sme's growth development
8. Memebership:QBA has expanded cautiously its membership throughout these five years in order to maintain the same selective and high caliber presentation ,.it started with 8 memebers and is now bringing together 32 members of the most influential and distinguished Qatari businessmen,QBA has been joined in 2009 by three new respected members: Dr.Hussien Al Abdullah CEO Al Rayan Bank ,Mr.Nabil Abu Issa Vice President Blue Salon Group.and Mr.Micheal Collis CEO Aamal Holding
The assembly also witnessed the following decisions:
1. Ratification of the Auditors Report
2. Discharge of the board members
3. Ratification of the Budget
At the end of the meeting the following QBA Board Members were elected for a new term:
1. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Bin Faisal Al Thani ,Chairman
2. Mr.Hussien Ibrahim Al Fardan,1st Deputy to the Chairman
3. Sheikh Khalid Bin Thani Al Thani,2nd Deputy to the Chairman
4. Mr.Issa Abdul Salam Abu Issa,Secretary General
5. Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nasser Al Thani
6. Mr.Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Misnad
7. Mr.Omar Bin Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Mana
8. Sheikh Hamad Bin Faisal Al Thani
9. Mr.Sherida Bin Saad Bin Jibran Al Kaabi
Later to QBA’s general assembly’s Meeting ,QBA’s board members held a board meeting with a single with the aim of electing the executive committee of the association and following are the results:
1. Sheikh Faisal Bim Qassim Al Thani
2. Mr.Hussien Ibrahim AL Fardan
3. Mr.Issa Abdul Salam Abu Issa
At the end all QBA Memebers conveyed their Highest regards and Utmost respect and gratitude for His Highness the Emir Of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani ,and His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani the Heir Apparent ,and His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani,Prime Minister and minister of Foreign Affairs.