Qatar Chamber's new 2025-2030 strategy to propel FDI, digital economy growth

The Qatar Chamber of Commerce recently announced the launch of its new 2025-2030 strategy, which will focus on resource sustainability and service development to adapt to digital transformation and economic changes. This strategy aims to enhance the global strategic hub position of Qatar's private sector, making it the preferred place to do business. Concurrently, the strategy will also be dedicated to promoting and supporting the Qatari private sector locally and globally, representing and safeguarding its interests.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that the strategy is built upon six major goals, including: optimizing the business environment; supporting and encouraging SMEs and entrepreneurs; transforming the Chamber into a hub for global communication and influence; advancing the digital economy; establishing a positive image of the Chamber by enhancing performance; and achieving financial sustainability. To support SMEs, the Qatar Chamber's strategy aims to establish a dedicated feasibility and market research department, create an entrepreneurship development center in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and establish a dedicated body within the Chamber to oversee innovation and SMEs.

Furthermore, the strategy also includes collaborating with professional consulting firms to develop an innovation index and launching a platform to explore investment opportunities, showcasing government investment projects, international investment prospects, and projects seeking funding. Through this strategy, the Qatar Chamber is also committed to developing a business environment that attracts local and foreign investment, assisting the government in promoting economic development, reviewing business-related laws and regulations, strengthening the Chamber's role as a bridge between the government and the private sector, and promoting public-private partnerships.

In terms of transitioning to a digital economy, the strategy focuses on digitizing all services and leveraging artificial intelligence for the Chamber's internal daily operations. Moreover, it aims to establish a Qatari e-marketing platform, connecting the Arab world with global markets, and providing a reliable business, service, and consulting portal. Through this strategy, the Qatar Chamber is also committed to expanding and organizing its database and information, collaborating with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to audit data when issuing commercial records, creating a directory categorizing companies by activity type, publishing electronic and printed directories, and organizing virtual exhibitions featuring local and international companies.

The Chamber's 2025-2030 strategy includes leveraging its global network to create the largest e-marketing platform for the Arab private sector, akin to Alibaba and Amazon. It also proposes the establishment of a company by the Chamber to transform this platform into a commercial project that generates revenue for the Chamber. The Qatar Chamber's strategy also focuses on developing the skills and capabilities of workers in the Qatari private sector and organizing monthly meetings with business owners. Furthermore, it is committed to supporting and promoting women's participation by activating the role of the Qatar Businesswomen Forum. Additionally, it aims to adopt projects that support companies in investing in employee training and organize field visits to companies and factories to identify challenges and propose solutions. It also plans to expand private sector participation in ICC-Qatar activities, attract international companies to the Qatari market, and organize forums and conferences to strengthen communication between local and international business communities.

The strategy outlines that, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Qatar Chamber will cooperate with embassies and commercial attachés abroad to establish commercial representative offices at the new Chamber headquarters in Lusail City. This initiative aims to attract foreign investment to Qatar, improve the business environment, promote Qatari investment abroad, and advance the digital economy. The strategy also aims to enhance the Chamber's image by improving its performance. This includes employing skilled Qatari professionals, implementing a new strategy for the Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration, expanding the research and studies department by increasing expertise, and strengthening the exhibitions department to organize exhibitions and conferences. Furthermore, it focuses on developing the training department and establishing new departments to facilitate the implementation of the strategy.