DOHA: The Chairman of the Qatar Chamber and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) HE Qatar Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani participated in the B20 Summit 2023, which was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the behest of the Government of India, which holds the current G20 Presidency.
The B20 Summit, which took place from Aug 25-27, in New Delhi, India, is the official engagement group for the G20 dialogue comprising businesses from around the world. The B20 communicates the views of businesses worldwide, from various industries, on global economic and trade governance issues, which is then delivered in a single voice in the form of actionable policy recommendations to the G20.
This year's B20 Summit was held under the theme 'R.A.I.S.E,' which stands for 'Responsible', 'Accelerated', 'Innovative', 'Sustainable', 'Equitable Businesses'.
There are seven task forces to support the theme and intended outputs for the Summit: Inclusive, global value chains (GVCs) for resilient global trade and investment; Future of work, skilling and mobility; Digital transformation; Financing for global economic recovery; Financial inclusion for economic empowerment; Energy, climate change and resource efficiency; and Tech, innovation and research and development.
Furthermore, there are two action councils on Environment, social and governance (ESG) in business, and African economic integration: An agenda for global business.
The Summit featured renowned speakers including from Microsoft, Brad Smith (President and Vice-Chairman); HSBC Holdings Plc, Mark E Tucker (Group Chairman); DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem (Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO); Adobe, Shantanu Narayen (Chair and CEO); McKinsey & Company, Bob Sternfels (Global Managing Partner); LinkedIn, Allen Blue (Co-Founder); FedEx, Raj Subramaniam (CEO); Mastercard, Michael Miebach (CEO) and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai.
Sheikh Khalifa noted, "With each year, greater strides are being taken across the world toward a more equitable and developed world. The B20 continues to pick up dialogues that need to be had and empower businesses to contribute to these conversations."
He added, "As part of Qatar's digital journey, Qatar continues to make strides in the area of digital transformation. In May, Google launched its Cloud Region in Qatar, the first data center in the Gulf Cooperation Council market, reinforcing Qatar's title as the fastest-growing technology hub in the Middle East. The launch is owed to Qatar's digital transformation-friendly policies and sharp vision, in tune with Qatar's National Vision 2030. The new Google Cloud will catalyze digital transformation, opening doors for myriad opportunities for all business sectors.”
“In harmony with the discussions addressing global Cyber Security Risks, Qatar established the National Cyber Security Agency in 2021. The agency is responsible for undertaking projects and programs to enhance cybersecurity, foster the growth of ICT and digital transformation, provide valuable solutions to tackle cybersecurity challenges and empower the knowledge-based economy. The agency continues to be very active, partly working on initiatives to socialize cybersecurity across all spheres of society and enhance responses to cyber threats," he added.
