(MENAFN- Gulf Times)
Following the successful working visit of Indonesian Minister of Commerce Zulkifli Hasan to Qatar, further business dialogues and B2B meetings are planned for the continued strengthening of the economic ties of both countries.
This was stated by Farhan al-Sayed, president of the Qatar-Indonesia Business Council (QIBC), which recently hosted several delegations from Indonesia with the aim of increasing exports from the Southeast Asian country to Qatar and other countries of the Gulf region.
Al-Sayed told the Gulf Times that Dewi Astian, head of international relations at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, visited Qatar to coordinate a possible high-level trade dialogue and B2B meeting in Doha.
He said Astian also proposed to create a mini pavilion during the event to showcase premium Indonesian products such as jewelry, clothing, bags, shoes, scarves, furniture and coffee and to promote tourism in more than 10 destinations in Indonesia, including Bali. .
“Indonesia is a strong trading partner and one of Qatar’s most reliable. The bilateral trade volume of both countries from January to July this year was $ 758 million and is expected to increase further in the coming months. .
“Qatar receives regular visitors from Indonesia’s public and private sector, such as ministers, chambers of commerce, business council delegates and general traders who are able to secure successful deals and partnerships in various fields with various companies in Doha. “explained al-Sayed.
Another delegation, led by Radhi Darmansyah from the Indonesian province of Aceh, also visited Doha to offer investment opportunities, such as the exploration block in Andaman 1 and the Strait of Malacca in Aceh.
“Currently, Repsol, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and Premier Oil are involved in various projects. Aceh could be the strategic regional hub in Southeast Asia for agricultural commodities, fisheries, tourism, halal products and oil and gas, “al-Sayed said.
Al-Sayed also praised Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan’s successful trade mission to Qatar, which secured potential transactions worth QR 5.5 million (Indonesian rupiah 23.2 billion).
In a previous statement, Hasan said the business matching sessions held in Doha during the trade mission helped secure potential transactions in the following areas: beauty and hospitality products, spices and condiments, snacks and processed foods, frozen fish, clothing and crafts.
The minister said 11 Indonesian companies and 42 Qatari companies participated in the business matching event. Palm oil and its derivatives, paper products, automobiles, batteries, food and beverages, home décor, handicrafts, clothing and beauty products are among Indonesia’s main products, he said.
“The commercial mission in Qatar was able to record potential transactions worth IDR 23.2 billion from this business matching initiative. This value has the potential to further increase, considering that participating companies are still following up on requests from potential partners gathered during the event, “the minister said.
