rahul preeth
Doha
Qatar has enormous economic potential by virtue of its geographic location, Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) CEO Lim Meng Hui has said.
"Qatar is strategically located at the crossroads of global trade. You can reach 60 percent of the world’s population within eight hours from here. Within this time, we in Qatar can be connected to over 10 key markets comprising around 2 billion people and over $5 trillion in GDP,” Hui said while addressing the opening of the Silk Road Exhibition and Conference in Doha on Saturday.
Qatar’s strong domestic demand, purchasing power parity and the fact that it is surrounded by promising neighbouring markets further underscore its economic prospects, he said.
"The economic growth and development within the region, including MENA and other Asian economies will be a great asset for Qatar’s future economic growths. It has regional access and air and sea connectivity to many markets, which are rather difficult to access for most other countries.”
The Free Zones Authority CEO said this geographical advantage, combined with its world-class infrastructure, natural gas reserves and an ambitious development plan, make Qatar well-positioned to serve these markets, especially China.
The year 2018 marked the 30th year of bilateral relations between Qatar and China, he said.
"Qatar-China economic relationship, which is already on a strong footing, is set to grow further. The Qatar Free Zones Authority has positioned itself to be one of Qatar’s growth catalysts and the Belt and Road Initiative of China opens up the door for potential investors in Qatar, China and other countries.”
For Chinese companies, he said Qatar offers a relatively stable and secure investment partner. It helps improve China’s access to high-value consumer base and provides them with strategic presence in the GCC and the broader MENA region.
Not just China, Lui said, Qatar has strong ties with leading economies around the world.
"Qatar has the world’s largest natural gas reserves of 25 trillion cubic metres and is the world’s largest LNG exporter with the production of 77 million tonnes per annum. It is forecast to grow to 110 million tonnes per annum by 2024,” he said.
Talking about Qatar’s connectivity and infrastructure, Hui said the Hamad International Airport in Doha is the world’s leading airport and has already established as a global transit hub.
"It was adjudged as the fourth best airport in 2019 and 16th largest airport by cargo in 2018. Besides HIA, Qatar is home to world’s leading airline, the Qatar Airways. It is the world’s fourth largest cargo airline and is targeted to be on the top by the end of this year.
"Hamad Port, which is built with an investment of over $7 billion, currently captures 27 percent of trade in the Middle East and aims to reach 35 percent in the next two years.”
The port, he said, is directly connected to 40 global ports and has eight feeder routes in the Middle East and South Asia.
Doha
Qatar has enormous economic potential by virtue of its geographic location, Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) CEO Lim Meng Hui has said.
"Qatar is strategically located at the crossroads of global trade. You can reach 60 percent of the world’s population within eight hours from here. Within this time, we in Qatar can be connected to over 10 key markets comprising around 2 billion people and over $5 trillion in GDP,” Hui said while addressing the opening of the Silk Road Exhibition and Conference in Doha on Saturday.
Qatar’s strong domestic demand, purchasing power parity and the fact that it is surrounded by promising neighbouring markets further underscore its economic prospects, he said.
"The economic growth and development within the region, including MENA and other Asian economies will be a great asset for Qatar’s future economic growths. It has regional access and air and sea connectivity to many markets, which are rather difficult to access for most other countries.”
The Free Zones Authority CEO said this geographical advantage, combined with its world-class infrastructure, natural gas reserves and an ambitious development plan, make Qatar well-positioned to serve these markets, especially China.
The year 2018 marked the 30th year of bilateral relations between Qatar and China, he said.
"Qatar-China economic relationship, which is already on a strong footing, is set to grow further. The Qatar Free Zones Authority has positioned itself to be one of Qatar’s growth catalysts and the Belt and Road Initiative of China opens up the door for potential investors in Qatar, China and other countries.”
For Chinese companies, he said Qatar offers a relatively stable and secure investment partner. It helps improve China’s access to high-value consumer base and provides them with strategic presence in the GCC and the broader MENA region.
Not just China, Lui said, Qatar has strong ties with leading economies around the world.
"Qatar has the world’s largest natural gas reserves of 25 trillion cubic metres and is the world’s largest LNG exporter with the production of 77 million tonnes per annum. It is forecast to grow to 110 million tonnes per annum by 2024,” he said.
Talking about Qatar’s connectivity and infrastructure, Hui said the Hamad International Airport in Doha is the world’s leading airport and has already established as a global transit hub.
"It was adjudged as the fourth best airport in 2019 and 16th largest airport by cargo in 2018. Besides HIA, Qatar is home to world’s leading airline, the Qatar Airways. It is the world’s fourth largest cargo airline and is targeted to be on the top by the end of this year.
"Hamad Port, which is built with an investment of over $7 billion, currently captures 27 percent of trade in the Middle East and aims to reach 35 percent in the next two years.”
The port, he said, is directly connected to 40 global ports and has eight feeder routes in the Middle East and South Asia.