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Malek Helali
Doha
AN INCREASING number of Australian travellers are taking advantage of the visa free arrangements to stopover in Qatar, according to the Ambassador of Australia to Qatar HE Axel Wabenhorst.
In a recent interview with Qatar Tribune, the Ambassador said that the ease of travel between Australia and Qatar facilitates cooperation in fields such as tourism, education, trade and investment. More Australians are choosing to travel through Qatar now, he said.
"Bilateral relations in these fields are growing, aided by the expansion of Qatar Airways' flights to Australia in recent years. Qatar Airways now flies to five cities in Australia daily, three of them with the A380 aircraft," HE Wabenhorst said.
The Ambassador noted that the trade volume between Australia and Qatar has been following an increasing trend as well."In 2017, the trade between Australia and Qatar stood at AUD 1.62 billion, comprising goods and services, import and export. This contrasts with 2012, when trade stood at AUD 1.46 billion," HE Wabenhorst said, adding that food and agriculture are among the most important areas of collaboration between the two countries.
According to the Ambassador, Australian food products like meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy items - are prominent in Qatari supermarkets. He noted that trade in dates and camel meat is possible in the future.
"There is a promising potential for further collaboration in food production in Qatar given Australia's expertise in dryland farming owing to its dry climate in many areas. Food trade is increasing across several areas," he added.
The Ambassador noted that Qatar has also invested in Australia's agriculture sector through Hassad Food, and he had visited some Qatari-owned farms in Australia.
The Ambassador also pointed out that Australia is working to attract more students from Qatar as it offers excellent higher education in English Language and is the third most popular destination for international students in the world."The Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne are the best-known destinations in Australia for people from Qatar, and its popularity is growing," he said.
Moreover, HE Wabenhorst said that the Council for Australian-Arab relations, which advances areas of shared political, economic and social interest and builds greater awareness and appreciation of cultures and values, has supported projects such as the exchange of journalism students between Australia and Qatar.
Highlighting the Qatari-Australian cooperation in the field of culture, the Ambassador said that the Embassy of Australia organised an exhibition of the finest Australian opals last summer and an exhibition of artworks from the Canning Stock Route 'Yiwarra Kuju' this summer. He added that Qatar contributed priceless jewellery to the Cartier exhibition that concluded recently at the National Gallery of Australia.
