Doha – Business Class
In line with its mission to promote Qatari exports, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) – through the support of its export arm, Tasdeer – signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation with Dubai Exports to facilitate business transactions, promote trade and foster opportunities for greater commerce between the two countries. The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the INDEX Design Series 2017, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This year, QDB participated at the INDEX Design Series 2017 along with 9 Qatari companies, involved across various fields of designing. The memorandum was signed by the Executive Director of Export Development & Promotion, QDB, Hassan Khalifa Al-Mansoori and Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Exports, Engineer Saed Al Awadi in the presence of officials from both organizations and participating exhibitors.
The agreement aims at supporting trade between exporters in Qatar and the UAE as well as enhancing trade and business opportunities between entrepreneurs from the two countries, including manufacturers, exporters, traders and service providers. A key aspect of the cooperation includes encouraging companies to develop investment relations through joint bilateral trade meetings. Furthermore, through this MoU, both QDB and Dubai Exports will help introduce their country’s respective companies to one another and facilitate, when and where possible, their capacity to network with members of each other’s business communities. This endeavor is aimed to initiate an independent line of communication between the two peoples and will be accomplished through the organization of joint commercial promotion activities, including trade fairs, trade delegations, training courses and dialogue forums.
Commenting on the agreement, Executive Director of Export Development & Promotion, QDB, Hassan Khalifa Al-Mansoori said: “With every passing day, we build new roads across which business communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council may traverse without hindrance to work together. Through our agreement to cooperate with Dubai Exports, we have taken a qualitative leap forward in supporting Qatari exporters and importers, facilitating their trade and strengthening them by opening new markets in various fields at local and regional levels.
“We expect this agreement to bring about a significant growth in business traffic between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs in Qatar and the UAE. This objective is also in line with Qatar Development Bank’s plans to promote Brand Qatar as well as encourage greater plurality of business ventures in the private sector and achieve diversity in the local export economy.”
Since its launch in 2011, Tasdeer has been at the forefront of developing Qatar’s export strategy for local SMEs. The development organization makes available wide-ranging information to SMEs, including country-specific case studies, analytics, and business directories. The research team at Tasdeer regularly publish their findings in a variety of manuals with specialized instructions, such as “Trade Map” and “Qatar’s Exporters Directory.”
In addition to the organization of workshops and training courses, Tasdeer frequently promotes local SMEs, their products and their digital presence across websites and social media channels. Furthermore, it arranges for exporters to feature at international matchmaking events in the interest of opening new markets for them and helping them forge deals that allow them to enhance their volumes of regional and international trade.
As such, QDB is directly involved in diversifying the national economy and promoting the country’s brand across international marketplaces, as envisioned in the Qatar National Vision 2030.