QDB's Export Program Showcases 14 Qatari SMEs at Plast Expo 2017

Doha, April 10 (QNA) - Fourteen Qatari small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in plastics manufacturing and packaging participated in Qatar Development Bank's (QDB) pavilion at the seventh Plast Expo international exhibition for plastics, which was held in Casablanca, Morocco. Plast Expo 2017 is the latest instalment in the international trade fair series for stakeholders involved in the plastics and packaging industry. It hosted a wide audience from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This year, Plast Expo 2017 attracted the world's leading decision-makers in the plastics industry from both the public and private sectors. It also provided a strategic platform and a networking opportunity to manufacturers, allowing for discourse on the industry's best practices as well as common challenges. Commenting on the development agency's participation, Tasdeer Executive Director, Hassan Khalifa Al Mansoori said, "At QDB, we are delighted to partake in the regionally-renowned Plast Expo international exhibition series for the second time. Our participation at this year's fair allows us to further strengthen the presence of Qatari companies operating in the plastics and packaging sector in the regional MENA market." He added, "We must remember that many regional markets are undergoing an unprecedented phase of development, and thus, they are eager recipients of high-quality, competitively-priced imports. This trend enables Qatari SMEs to compete and acquire a good share of these markets. And, at QDB, we will continue to empower our local manufacturers to partake regionally and globally in thriving marketplaces in line with our organizational strategy to support Qatari exporters." QDB's participation at Plast Expo 2017 comes as the latest in a series of international trade fairs in which Tasdeer has promoted local companies. Upcoming events include: Building and Construction Materials International Exhibition (BATIMATEC), scheduled to be held from April 23 to 27 in Algeria. The upcoming expo is expected to provide a unique platform to the Qatari exporters for the exchange of experience, technology and knowledge in the building sector. Incidentally, QDB was the sole development agency nominated from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and MENA region for the 2016 Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Award in the category of the best development agency in a developing country. Through its Tasdeer export program, QDB aims to strengthen the presence of Qatari companies on prestigious global platforms, linking Qatari specialists to international experts across the world's production industries. Tasdeer also facilitates access to global markets and emerging markets by bringing trade leads for importing and exporting to Qatari enterprises as well as supporting participation in international trade shows, workshops, exhibitions, and networking events. In 1997, QDB was first established as Qatar Industrial Development Bank (QIDB) in a fundamental step to expanding Qatar's indigenous industrial infrastructure. The aim of the newly-created 100-percent government-owned developmental organization was to develop investments within local industries, thereby accelerating growth and economic diversification of the private sector in Qatar. In 2006, the bank's success led to a change in its mandate and a new name, Qatar Development Bank. (QNA)