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· QDB showcased 10 local SMEs at the Middle East Electricity (MEE) exhibition at Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE, from February 14 to 16, 2017
Doha, State of Qatar - As part of its efforts to support and develop the private sector industries on local, regional, and international levels, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) showcased 10 local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the Middle East Electricity (MEE) exhibition at Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE, from February 14 to 16, 2017.
This exhibition, each year, sees the participation of nearly 1,500 exhibitors from nearly 60 countries, operating in the field of electric power production and renewable energy. It also welcomes nearly 21,000 visitors as well as 130 state dignitaries. The expo aims to draw together traditional and alternative energy enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, exhibitors and investors from across the world and facilitate communication and trade deal agreements between individual visitors and companies in light of the latest developments in the power sector. One additional aim of the Middle East Electricity Exhibition 2017 is to put developments in the electricity, renewable and nuclear energy industries on show and highlight the energy requirements heightened by challenges in the region.
This year, through the support of its export arm, Tasdeer, QDB organized 10 local SMEs at the nation’s designated marquee, the Qatar Pavilion: Al Bayan for Electronics and LED Technologies, Al Hodaifi Cable Compounding Co., Al Shams Advanced Lighting Technologies, Doha Cables, Faraj Company for Trade and Industry, Pioneer Metal, Qatari Canadian for Energy & Electrical Industries, Qatar International Cables Company, QTec Switchgear, Switchgear International W.L.L.
Commenting on the participation, Executive Director, Tasdeer, Hassan Khalifa al-Mansoori said: "With our participation at Middle East Electricity 2017, we aim to increase cooperation and commercial transactions between national and foreign companies through opening new markets for local businesses. Through Tasdeer, QDB continues to spearhead the promotion of local SMEs, from various industries, and their quality products across the globe—our attendance at this event is a case-in-point: Qatar-manufactured electric products, LED lights, cables and switchgear are high standard, durable and efficient, enabling them to compete successfully regionally and globally."
He continued: "We are dedicated to building the capacity of Qatari companies to partake in international exhibitions. Recently, we organized a workshop for 95 companies, with the aim of training exhibitors in the trade of promoting and marketing their products and services in a professional manner at international exhibitions. Hence, by providing all possible facilities to Qatari SMEs to find platforms that allow for their participation in the international marketplace, we take a step closer towards capturing new audiences and promoting our country’s brand across the globe, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”
Participation at MEE 2017 is the latest in a series of Tasdeer’s export-related initiatives this year. The list of scheduled exhibitions this year amounts to nearly 10 expos, including the upcoming events in March and April: ‘Gulfood’ (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), ‘BIG 5 Saudi’ (Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and ‘PlastExpo’ (Casablanca, Morrocco).
Since its launch in 2011, QDB’s export program, Tasdeer, has contributed greatly to promoting the presence of Qatari exports in foreign markets through a wide range of activities and events, such as participation at international exhibitions, bilateral trade cooperation programs and training workshops. Furthermore, the research team at Tasdeer regularly publish their findings in a variety of manuals with specialized instructions, such as "Trade Secrets: The Export Answer Book for SMEs" and "Qatar’s Exporters Directory.”
Notably, International Trade Center (ITC), a joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), recently nominated QDB for the 2016 Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Award, under the category of the best development agency in a developing country. Incidentally, QDB was the sole development agency shortlisted from amongst the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Other nominated development agencies, under the same category, included those from the following countries: Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica and South Korea.
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About Qatar Development Bank (QDB)
In 1997, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) was first established as Qatar Industrial Development Bank (QIDB) in a fundamental step to expanding Qatar’s indigenous industrial infrastructure. The aim of the newly-created 100% government-owned developmental organization was to develop investments within local industries, thereby accelerating growth and economic diversification of the private sector in Qatar.
Since then, its portfolio has greatly expanded—today, QDB is a centerpiece to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.
To promote the private sector, QDB locally extends wide-ranging financial and non-financial support to entrepreneurs across a myriad of industries—the development organization runs a series of initiatives that promote the entrepreneurial spirit in the citizenry to create private startups on an ongoing basis. One case-in-point is Al-Fikra National Business Competition, whose fifth edition was launched in August 2016, and yet another is Global Entrepreneurship Week, the second edition of the Qatar-based instalment of the worldwide initiative, launched in November 2016. Other schemes, such as the eco-friendly Jahiz I and Jahiz II initiatives, seek to empower already-existing local SMEs that are operating across a diverse range of industries, including: chemicals, electronics, plastics, wood materials as well as food and beverage. Furthermore, Al Dhameen service proves critically important in the service of entrepreneurs because these indirect loan facilities are viable by both existing companies as well as completely new startups. The purpose of these initiatives is to strengthen the non-oil and gas product manufacturers in the private sector.
Through its Tasdeer export program, QDB aims to strengthen the presence of Qatari companies on prestigious global platforms, linking Qatari specialists to international experts across the world’s production industries. In 2016, QDB took part in a number of expos from across a broad spectrum of industries—to cite a few examples, the bank recently concluded the showcasing of over 20 local manufacturers from Qatar’s agri-food, plastics and rubber industries at globally-renowned expos like SIAL Paris and K2016 in Paris, France and Düsseldorf, Germany respectively. Most notably, QDB was the sole development agency nominated from amongst the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the 2016 Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Award, under the category of the best development agency in a developing country, in Marrakech, Morocco.
To this end, recently, at SME Excellence List 2016, under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, QDB showcased 50 outstanding performers of the local private sector – whose cumulative generated income amounted to nearly 1 billion riyals – shortlisted from amongst a collection of more than 800 SMEs.
In the days to come, embracing its national responsibility, QDB will continue to empower the nation’s citizens to tap into the latest wave of economic globalization and evolve Qatar’s economy as outlined in National Development Strategy (NDS) 2017-2022.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Mahmoud
Kalimat
E-mail: sarah@kalimat.qa
Mobile: +974.55237211
© Press Release 2017
