DOHA: Qatar has imported $27.2mn worth of furniture from Turkey in 2016, which accounts for 5.8% of the Gulf state’s total furniture imports, according to a senior official of the Kayseri Furniture Industrialists Association (Kaymos).
Figures presented by Kaymos chairman Yakup Deveci during the Doha leg of the ‘Qatar-Kuwait Trade Delegation Visit’, which will run until October 6, showed that Qatar’s furniture imports from the international market stood at $469mn in 2016, and registered a 2.5% annual increase between 2012 and 2016.
“Within the same period, Qatar’s furniture imports from Turkey grew by 5.8% annually. Hence, it is safe to say that Qatar’s furniture imports from Turkey are growing faster than its aggregate furniture imports from the world. In other terms, the market share of Turkish furniture in the Qatari market has been growing constantly in the last five years,” Deveci said.
The major furniture items Qatar imports from Turkey are mainly wooden furniture used either at homes or offices. The fastest growing furniture items exported by Turkey to Qatar are seats with wooden frames, metal furniture, other seats, furniture parts and all types of wooden furniture.
At a B2B meeting organised by Shedu Consulting & International Trade at the W Hotel Doha yesterday, 11 Kaymos members met with 65 representatives from 45 Qatari companies.
During the event, Deveci said Kaymos “intentionally chose Qatar” as its first destination to express their support for the country, and its “willingness” to establish new partnerships with Qatari companies.
Turkey’s ambassador to Qatar Fikret Ozer emphasised in a speech that “Turkish people and the business community will always support Qatari people and Qatari businessmen to overcome the negative effects of the blockade.”
Deniz Kutlu, managing partner and consultant at Shedu Consulting & International Trade, stressed that the interest of Qatari companies at the event “was much higher than their expectations.”
“They have received great support from the Turkish embassy, Qatar Chamber, and Qatar business community, in general,” Kutlu pointed out.
Furniture manufacturers of Kaymos are expecting to increase their presence in the Qatari market following the B2B meetings, he continued.
“Currently, Turkey has a 5.8% share in Qatar’s furniture imports and with the help of the B2B meetings, the share of Turkish furniture in the Qatari market is expected to increase by the end of 2017,” Kutlu said.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event, Deveci said a group of Qatari companies will be invited to Kayseri in early 2018. He added that Kaymos has 120 members that are all located in Turkey’s Kayseri province, which generates nearly 2% of the entire global furniture output.
