Paris – March 30th, 2021 – The Franco-Qatari economic circle, Qadran, organized a webinar entitled « Launching Last-mile projects for 2022 World Cup and creating long-lasting growth opportunities for French companies in Qatar », gathering high-level French and Qatari economic representatives.
The webinar, held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to France, allowed to explore development opportunities for French companies in Qatar, particularly in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022™ in Qatar. He recalled on this occasion that « major French companies have supported the implementation of Qatar's National Vision 2030 and of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in terms of infrastructure, equipment, security and accommodation services ».
Frédéric Gossot, Managing Director for France and Benelux of Qatar Airways and Chairman of Qadran, also emphasized the strong economic ties between the two countries: « French companies’ know-how is widely recognized, they are already heavily involved in the transformation of the Qatari economy, and are currently launching last mile projects to help Qatar host the biggest international tournament: the 2022 World Cup, the first World Cup to be held in an Arab country. ».
H.E. Ahmad Al Sayed, Minister of State and Chairman of Qatar Free Zones Authority, recalled the improvements made to welcome foreign direct investments over the last two years, especially related to the diversification of the Qatari economy. QFZA's key strategic sectors are evolving and are now targeting new areas such as new technologies, logistics, agriculture and smart mobility.
Addressing the numerous participants, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure and legacy programmes for Qatar 2022, recalled how « it is always a pleasure to work with world-class French companies. I am particularly proud to announce that we are ahead of schedule and that all facilities will be ready to welcome travelers for the beginning of the tournament ».
Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, added: « Hosting the 2022 World Cup will allow Qatar to show the world what I have witnessed for more than 20 years, which is the incredible evolution. I am very impressed by the country's dynamics and its ability to combine vision and execution. ».
France is encouraging this dynamic, and the private sector is constantly expressing « its willingness to work hand in hand with its Qatari counterparts », said Pedro Novo, Executive Director in charge of exports at Bpifrance. Indeed, the intensity of the bilateral relationship has not suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic but has even been strengthened because « Qatar is a land of opportunities, not only for major economic players but also for startups, SMEs and ETIs, which are increasingly integrating sectors of excellence such as agribusiness, energy, tourism, EdTEch or healthtech.».
His Excellency Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani said at the conclusion of the webinar: « We look forward to continued cooperation with French companies and to welcoming you to Qatar in 2022 ».