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Total cites safe experience in Qatar to lure European SMEs
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The Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah along with Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani visiting the exhibition on the sidelines of the 1st Qatar Industrial Investment Conference at the Grand Hyatt
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Global energy major Total, which has facilitated the participation of some 15 European small and medium enterprises in the ongoing Qatar Industrial Investment Conference & Exhibition, will help these SMEs set up bases in the country if they choose to do so.
Total, in association with Qatar Petroleum, arranged the participation in the three-day event for some 15 SMEs from France, Belgium and Italy.
“Seven of these will present investment proposals to Qatar,” Total Qatar managing director Philippe Guys said in an interview with Gulf Times yesterday.
He said the participation of the SMEs in the first-of-its-kind event followed months of coordinated efforts by Total and QP, which involved a meeting between QP executives and the representatives of the French Chambers of Commerce in June.
“We organised the mission, which succeeded in signing up many French SMEs for the event. And through our network in Europe, we have been able to reach out to SMEs in Belgium and Italy. On their own, these SMEs could not have come and participated in the exhibition, because they don’t have the resources to do so,” Guys said.
He said Total has ‘considerable’ experience in supporting SMEs in Europe as well as in Qatar. The energy major has organised many missions for European SMEs in Qatar since 2003
Some four French firms have already set up joint ventures with Qatari companies in the SME category.
“From Total’s seven decades of experience in doing business in Qatar, we could say this country is absolutely safe for investments and provides adequate room for growth. When we speak from our own experience, European SMEs in particular, will listen,” Guys said.
He said the conference and exhibition organised by Qatar Petroleum was a ‘unique opportunity’ for foreign SMEs to meet with Qatari companies and investors. Total is one of the two main sponsors of the event.
Through this event, foreign companies will present their industrial investment projects in Qatar and connect with potential partners.
Besides being a key sponsor, Total has been supporting Qatar Petroleum in identifying European companies that will participate to the conference.
“We are very proud to be a main sponsor of the 1st Qatar Industrial Investment Conference & Exhibition. At the same time, our partnership with QP for the organisation of this conference goes far beyond sponsorship. It is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to contribute to the development of a sustainable economy within the frame of Qatar National Vision 2030.
“Total has been developing CSR programmes in Qatar and many other parts of the world. This is the reason why we have worked in collaboration with QP for almost one year to identify innovative European SMEs,” Guys added.
Source : Gulf Times
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