His Excellency Mr. Saleh bin Majid Al Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for Industry and Business Development Affairs, said that India is the second trading partner of the State of Qatar, noting that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries increased by about 33 percent during the years 2021 and 2022, to reach about $17.2 billion.
This came during his chairmanship of the State of Qatar’s delegation participating in the sixth session of the Arab-Indian Partnership Conference, which concluded yesterday and lasted for two days in the Indian capital, New Delhi, under the slogan “Arab-Indian trade cooperation: the way forward.”
His Excellency the Assistant Undersecretary for Industry Affairs and Business Development praised the strength and durability of the historical and strategic partnership between the Arab countries and India, especially the State of Qatar, pointing out that the participation of the State of Qatar in this year’s edition of the conference comes out of deep belief in the importance of partnership as a main guarantee for strengthening bilateral relations between states, expressing his aspiration through the meeting to establish joint plans to consolidate future paths of cooperation between the Arab countries and the Republic of India, and to stimulate mutual investments in the markets of the Arab region and Asia for the benefit of all the economies of these countries.
The participation of the State of Qatar in the conference aims to shed light on the Qatari economy and its leading position at the regional and international levels, and to introduce the attractive investment environment that the State of Qatar provides to businessmen and investors from all over the world, in addition to reviewing the most prominent incentives, advantages and initiatives that have been launched in order to support the private sector. Enhancing the competitiveness and diversification of the Qatari economy, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, in addition to strengthening the distinguished bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of India.
The sixth session of the conference witnessed the organization of a number of dialogue sessions that focused on a number of key topics, including investment opportunities in India, the pharmaceutical industries after the Corona (Covid-19) pandemic, food security and energy.
The conference included holding bilateral meetings between businessmen from the Arab and Indian sides, in order to enhance communication between businessmen and investors, and provide more opportunities aimed at enhancing the commercial, investment and economic reality between Arab countries and India.
At the end of the conference, the New Delhi Declaration was launched, which included a number of items to emphasize the importance of close cooperation between India and the Arab countries at various levels, and to promote the exchange of knowledge, experiences and expertise in various sectors of common interest, as well as the importance of solidarity between the Arab countries and India to strengthen and direct relations. Towards sustainable development, exploring new opportunities for cooperation, in addition to emphasizing the importance of the role of the private sector in pushing trade and investment relations to broader horizons.
It should be noted that the Arab-Indian Partnership Conference was organized for the first time in 2008, with the aim of increasing levels of trade exchange and enhancing cooperation between Arab countries and India.
