Qatar's Minister of Economy Meets Members of US-Qatar Business Council

Doha, May 27 (QNA) - HE Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani met on Sunday with members of the U.S.-Qatar Business Council to review the latest developments in economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries and means of boosting them. Held in the presence of U.S.-Qatar Business Council Chairman HE Ambassador Anne Patterson and a number of board chairpersons of major U.S. firms operating in Qatar, HE the minister of economy and commerce reviewed during the meeting the latest state measures to stimulate and attract investments such as the law on foreign investment regulation, which was recently approved by the cabinet and would open the way for foreign investors to own 100 percent in all sectors and support the entry of foreign investors to the Qatari market. The meeting also touched on the positive outcomes of the first stage of the State of Qatar's economic roadshow, which started in April in the United States. It also discussed preparations for the second stage of the tour. The first stage saw the Ministry of Economy and Commerce organize four economic forums between the State of Qatar and the United States in Miami, Washington DC, Charleston and Raleigh. It was organized in cooperation with Qatar Chamber, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Qatari Businessmen Association, U.S.-Qatar Business Council and a number of official entities in the United States. The economic roadshow in the four U.S. cities featured economic forums and bilateral meetings between the two countries; bilateral meetings between Qatari businessmen and their U.S. counterparts; exhibitions in conjunction with the economic roadshow initiative; and roundtables in real estate investment, hospitality, tourism, technology, health and medicine, banking, legal practice, public-private partnerships and infrastructure projects. The State of Qatar and the United States have close economic and trade relations, reflecting positively on the volume of trade exchange between them, which amounted approximately to QR 21 billion in 2017. At 6 percent, the United States is the State of Qatar's seventh trade partner. U.S. companies that operate in Qatar and have Qatari partners amounted to 541, while the number of companies with 100 percent U.S. ownership stood at 117. Moreover, there are 20 U.S. companies operating in the oil and gas industry in the State of Qatar, and more than 50 U.S. firms are licensed under the umbrella of Qatar Financial Center. (QNA)