US delegates vow to promote Qatari market, culture, in QBA meeting

On the sidelines of the Doha Forum, the Qatari Businessmen Association held a business lunch with Jane Harman, former US house of representative, leading a delegation of senior US diplomatic and economic
figures.
The meeting aimed at enhancing means of joint cooperation with the United States and exploring opportunities and investments in both countries.
From QBA side, the meeting was headed by QBA Chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani. QBA first deputy Hussain Al Fardan also attended meetings along with the board’s HE Sherida Al-Kaabi and Saud Al-Mana. QBA members Khalid Al Mannai, Sheikh Faisal bin Fahd Al Thani, Nabil Abu Issa, Maqbool Habib Khalfan, Sheikh Mohammad bin Faisal Al Thani, Yousef Al Mahmoud, Ihsan Al Khaiymi and Shejan M also attended the meeting in addition to representative of Lulu Group and QBA Deputy GM Sarah Abdullah. The Qatari Businesswomen’s Association— represented by board members. Awatif Al Dafaa, Amal Al-Athem, and Mashael Al-Ansari — also participated in the meeting.
The US delegation included figures from the financial and educational sectors such as Paula Dobriansky, who served as Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was a Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO; Megan Sullivan, former Deputy National Security Adviser; Anne Patterson, Board Member of the Qatar-US Business Council, and Maureen Quinn, former US ambassador to Qatar and current university professor at the University of New York. The delegation also included Robert Dickey, who owns one of the largest law firms in the United States.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Faisal welcomed the guests, expressing his happiness with this meeting, praising the strong bilateral relations between Qatar and the United States, which have developed to strategic partnership in all sectors. The United States is the largest direct global investor and the largest trading partner of Qatar.
On her part, Jane Harman expressed her happiness with QBA’s warm welcome, stressing that the Qatari-US relations are based on solid foundations and a strategic partnership, and that she aims through this visit to exchange views and ideas on how to develop these relations to meet the aspirations of the two countries.
Hussein Al-Fardan called on the American side to invest in Qatar and the need to increase the presence of American companies and create new partnerships, praising the expertise and global competitive advantages of Qatari companies.
Paula Dobriansky added that Qatar has developed remarkably and has the capabilities that qualify it to attract the American investor to its markets. She also talked about the sectors in which the two parties can cooperate, such as education, and stressed that the American delegation is fully prepared to serve as a promotional tool for the Qatari market and culture.
During the meeting, the attendees discussed the role of the Qatari private sector in supporting the country’s strategic plans and its constant keenness to search for partnerships and study investment opportunities in global markets, especially the American market, which has the confidence of the Qatari investor.