Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar is establishing itself as a unique tourist destination with modern infrastructure and well-preserved, authentic Middle Eastern heritage, Qatar Tourism Chairman Saad bin Ali Al Kharji has said.
Addressing the QatarInvestmentConference2023 hosted by The Business Year (TBY),Al Kharji delved into Qatar’s vision for tourism and infrastructure development.
Theevent,whichtookplaceon November23attheFairmont Doha,wasattendedbyover200leaders from the Qatari economy. Representatives of both the private and public sectors gathered todiscuss the potential of technology and innovation in empowering the country’s business landscape andhowspecific industriessuchastourism,hospitality,real estate,finance,energy,and ICTaregaining prominence in the country’s economic diversification agenda.
Thefirstpanel, titled“Qatar’sRemarkableJourney:AVisionforTourismandInfrastructureDevelopment,”dived intoQatar’sinvestmentsincutting-edgeinfrastructuredevelopment.Participants explored the nation’s dedication to hosting international events and the private sector’s
contributionstoadvancingtourismandentertainment.Thepanelistsincluded: RahulPotdar,DirectorofPortfolioManagementDevelopmentsatQatariDiar; KhaledAl Suwaidi,DirectorofProjects at Katara Hospitality; and Khalid Al Jassim, Senior Business Development Officer at QetaifanProjects.
Precedingthecommencementofthesecondpanel discussion,adedicatedsegmentonentrepreneurship and innovation featured a presentation by Sheikh Mansoor bin Khalifa Al-Thani,Chairman of MBK Holding, who shared his insights about Qatar becoming a high-skilled economy. Thepresentation wasfollowedbyanaddress from SheikhAhmedbinKhalidAl-Thani,AssistantGovernorofFinancial InvestmentsandPaymentSystemsatQatarCentralBank(QCB),whoemphasizedthepivotalroleofdigitaltransformation inQatarifinance,highlightingthestrategicimplementation of cutting-edge technologies like blockchain.
PanelII,titled“QatarFinancialSectorReshapingTechnologicalTrendsintheGCC,”highlightedQatar’s leadership in the digital transformation journey across all sectors of the economy.
This panelunderscoredthesynergy betweenfinance andtechnology in a discussion by panelists Ahmed Al Munayes, Managing Director at Qatar Tap Payments; David Cook, CEO at Sharq Insurance; and SamiZaitoon, Manging Partner at Moore. They discussed how Qatar’s financial institutions are positioningthemselves as pioneers in a rapidly evolving regional landscape.
Thethirdandfinalpanelwas titled “InnovationforSustainableProgress—CreatingQatar’sNextBusiness Landscape.”
This panel shed light on Qatar’s unwavering commitment to sustainability andhow innovation plays a pivotal role in driving sustainable progress. Panelists Khalid Mohamed Al Kubaisi, CEO at Malomatia; Francisco Marmolejo, President of Higher Education at Qatar Foundation; andSantiagoBañales, ManagingDirectorat IberdrolaInnovationMiddleEast exploredhow
innovation, research and development, and forward-thinking strategies are shaping Qatar’s businesslandscape.
Finally, closing remarks were given by Vanessa Rameix, Country Manager ofthe Business Year inQatar, thus concluding the day.
The event was organized by The Business Year with the support of the Ministry of Commerce andIndustry,QatarChamber,US-QatarBusinessCouncil,QatariBusinesswomanAssociation,Moore,DohaBank,KataraHospitality,DukhanBank,MohammedbinHamadHolding(MBHH),TarboulIndustrial City, Sharq Insurance, Dallah Holding, The Peninsula, Gulf Times, Lusail News, OnlyRoses, and Doha Dates.
TBY’s latest research on the Qatar economy, The Business Year: Qatar 2024, is set to be published in1Q 2024 and will be available on key business information platforms including Bloomberg Terminal,Refinitiv Eikon, Dow Jones Factiva, and FactSet. It will also be available on Issuu, PressReader, GoogleBooks, and at thebusinessyear.
