DOHA: Qatar Development Bank (QDB) will host the International Trade 
Centre’s (ITC) 15th World Export Development Forum (WEDF) on October 20 and 21 in Doha.
Held for the first time in the Middle East and under the theme ‘Sustainable trade: Innovate, invest, internationalise,’ the forum will be attended by more than 600 experts from all over the world.
Representatives will come to Qatar from governments, the private sector, as well as development and promotion of exports organisations and institutes, to discuss efforts to unlock the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises, women and youth.
The forum will reveal the role of the decision-makers and business partners to achieve the goals of sustainable development through the empowerment of SMEs, assisting them in finding innovative solutions, new partnerships to help enter new markets and will include topics of Halal food industry and its role in the evolving export opportunities for SMEs. The event will see high-level plenary sessions, workshops and bilateral meetings between businessmen to support SMEs in the tourism, food and plastic products sectors.
In 2011 QDB established its ‘Tasdeer’ programme, which aims at developing Qatari non-hydrocarbon exports through providing financial services and insurance solutions. QDB also provides a number of services that aim at building capabilities and competencies of exporting companies, raising public awareness of the sector, and its role in achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.
“This year’s WEDF is an opportunity for global thought leaders and business practitioners to discuss how the role of trade can be strengthened in spurring social and economic growth in developing countries,” said ITC Executive Director Arancha Gonz?lez. “Not only will it be a platform to share best practices and know-how, it will be a venue for doing business, as tailored B2B meetings will allow SMEs to tap into new trade opportunities.”
Gonz?lez pointed out sessions at WEDF 2015 will explore boosting the competitiveness of SMEs to drive economic growth, how to reshape the entrepreneurial landscape through new technologies, and innovative ways for SMEs to access finance. They will also look at regional economic integration, foreign direct investment as a key to connecting to value chains, growth potential in the tourism sector, and the role of halal standards in opening up new markets.
Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of QDB, said: “We are delighted to host such an international forum, which clearly demonstrates the strength of Qatar’s economy. As a part of our core mission QDB supports Qatari exporters and SMEs. Our strategy encourages the private sector to export their products based on well-prepared and tailored market studies of Qatari products, examining quality, pricing, and imported products in relevant target markets. Our goals are fully aligned with the World Export Development Forum agenda.”
The Peninsula
