The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have launched a media campaign inviting commercial businesses and members of the private sector to take part in the country’s investment opportunities event in Doha.

The investment opportunities event, which will take place on March 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel, is aimed at supporting the country’s goal of becoming a world class hospitality destination, as part of the National Tourism Sector Strategy which was announced recently.

The details of six investment opportunities will be revealed, each of which is intended to be developed by a private sector partner with support from QTA and QDB.

The six projects will be the first phase of a series of investment opportunities and will relate to dhow cruises; luxury coaches; 4x4 leasing; a cottage market; meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions (MICE) destination management company (DMC); and integrated ticking and mobile information centres.

A procurement process will begin following the event to select a suitable developer for each project.

Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, chairman of QTA, said: “Tourism is a growing pillar of the expanding Qatari economy, driven by the fact that Qatar is one of the fastest developing leisure and business tourism markets in the world today.”

“The event in partnership with QDB is an initiative to showcase to potential private sector investors - entrepreneurs, SMEs and corporations – the potential this rapidly growing sector offers, and the incentive available to participate in its growth,” he said.  

Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al-Khalifa, CEO of QDB, said:“Our partnership with QTA falls in line with QDB’s aim to enhance the private sector’s contribution to Qatar’s economy. The importance of our efforts is to identify gaps in the tourism sector and then help the Qatari private sector fill them by converting these gaps into doable and achievable opportunities.

“These six projects have been selected as a first phase because they are attractive to the private sector while having enormous potential to benefit the local tourism sector; this is a phase one of many more opportunities that will be displayed to the private sector in due course time.”

The successful bidders will receive benefit from QTA assistance with obtaining licenses; access to development and operating guidelines; priority booking for QTA functions and events; visibility on the authority’s websites and social media platforms; and exposure at international tourism exhibitions.  

They will also benefit from low interest rate loans and extended repayment periods from QDB. - TradeArabia News Service