Ailyn Agonia
Doha
AMBASSADOR of Spain to Qatar HE Ignacio Escobar said that several events are slated to be held in Qatar in the coming months.
In an interview with Qatar Tribune recently, the ambassador elaborated that among the events in their line-up is the Spanish gourmet extravaganza which will bring top chefs and artisan food brands from Spain to Doha. It is likely in April.
Furthermore, a bilateral investment forum will be organised by the Embassy in Doha to tackle investment opportunities in Qatar as well as in Spain and to discuss the double taxation agreement recently approved between the countries, he added.
The ambassador is also keen to host in Qatar another flamenco show before the Holy Month of Ramadan which he said has a huge following in Qatar and the region. A special exhibition called 'The Gardens of Islam' is likely to be hosted by the Embassy in Katara, within the year.
Similarly, the ambassador said that a strong Spanish presence will be seen in some of Qatar's major events such as the Agritech 2018 where a Spanish pavilion will showcase the alliance of Spanish firms called 'Agro Qatar'.
The diplomat also underlined the strong presence of Spanish firms in Qatar. Currently, there are around 60 Spanish firms in Qatar registered with the Spanish Business Council, a non-profit institution under the sponsorship of Qatar Financial Centre whose aim is to provide a forum for discussion of key economic, commercial and other issues of interest to Spanish companies doing or planning to do business in Qatar.
Ambassador Escobar further said that Spanish firms are interested in Qatar's development, placed in main sectors, such as construction, clothing, R&D, railways, metro, energy, health sector, among others. He also stated that Spanish firms are keen to explore with Qatar in terms of bilateral investments in greenhouses, health services, smart cities, food sector, lab drugs or technology related to sport as well as other industries.
In the field of education and linguistic skills, the ambassador stressed a huge interest among Qataris and expatriate communities to learn the Spanish language. He said the Embassy is collaborating with local schools and actively supporting educational institutions such as Qatar University and the Translation and Interpreting Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in coping with the demand for Spanish language courses.
The population of Spanish community in Qatar is currently around 4,000. The ambassador said that many Spanish professionals, especially in the fields of hospitality and facility management, are coming to Qatar.
He added that the presence of Spanish coaches and athletes in Qatar are among the significant contributions of their community in the country.
Commenting on the preparations of Qatar in hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, he lauded the efforts of Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SCDL) in ensuring that preparations and developments for the major event are right on track.
"So far, I think the Committee is doing an excellent job. As far as I know things are going perfectly well and there is still some time ahead. But the deadline is getting closer, so the activity will increase exponentially in the next few years. The SCDL is in the hands of very competent people who are dealing with all aspects from construction, transportation, security to accommodation."
The ambassador further said:"As far as the present situation, we don't expect the blockade to last forever, so sooner or later things will get back to normal. We have to take into consideration that an event of the magnitude of the World Cup will be held in Qatar. But this is not a Qatari issue only. This is a major event for the region as a whole. I think all the people in the Middle East, especially those in the Gulf, should be proud that they can experience an event such as this one."