DOHA: Qatar Investment Authority’s (QIA) decision to open an office in New York City and its commitment to invest $35bn in the US over the next few years demonstrate Qatar’s confidence in the US market, said Steve Lutes, director of Turkey and Middle East Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In January at the U.S. Chamber, Qatar’s Minister of Finance announced the country would be investing $35 billion in the United States over the next few years. Just a month later, Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue hosted Qatari Emir H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and a high-level delegation of other Qatari officials for a CEO roundtable to underscore the substantial and growing trade and investment opportunities.And earlier this week, the Qataris demonstrated their confidence in the U.S. market and delivered on a promise as the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) opened an office in New York City, Steve wrote in his column appeared on the US Chamber of Commerce blog.
The Chamber has been working with the Qataris to help increase their exposure in the United States, and to educate American companies on the vast opportunities in Qatar, he said.
“There is a great deal of momentum to expanding our trade and investment relationship with Qatar. At the Chamber, we remain committed to partnering with the Qataris to raise their profile in the U.S. while also helping to diversify their economy by encouraging more American businesses to invest and participate in projects across a variety of sectors in Qatar,” asserted Khush Choksy, vice president for Middle East Affairs at the U.S. Chamber. “We look forward to seeing this mutually beneficial progress continue with the launch of the U.S.-Qatar Economic and Commercial Dialogue later this month, which we have been advocating for and working with both governments to establish.”
Earlier this week in New York, Choksy and the Chamber also hosted a roundtable for business leaders with Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani. The minister noted that as one of the fastest growing economies in the Middle East, Qatar will continue to strengthen its economic relationship with the U.S. across a variety of industries and “take the business relationship to a new level.” He spoke about the commitment to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the importance of developing sectors like infrastructure, health care, IT, and education, as well as efforts to build new economic and industrial zones. Pointing out Qatar’s business friendly environment, the minister affirmed that the government would continue to support American companies of all sizes that want to do business in Qatar and use it as a hub to access markets in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
