Doha: The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) and Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation between both entities and facilitate the development of a business cluster in Qatar Free Zones dedicated to advanced agriculture technology and the food industry.
This step comes in line with Qatar’s strategy to achieve food security, promote economic diversification, and empower the private sector.
The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Municipality and Environment and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Dr. Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie; Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of QFZA, H E Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed; and several senior officials from the Ministry and QFZA.
The agreement was signed by Assistant Undersecretary for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs at the MME, Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani; and Deputy CEO at QFZA, Abdulla Al Misnad. The signing was followed by an introductory tour of Ras Bufontas Free Zone and the Business & Innovation Park to showcase the advanced infrastructure and services offered to investors in the Free Zones.
The MoU will help attract investment by facilitating investor delegation visits organised by the Ministry and QFZA. It will also support hosting of events, including discussions focused on the investment sectors, bilateral meetings between companies, high-level economic and trade forums, and other economic and commercial activities held locally or internationally.
Furthermore, it will help provide training opportunities, besides co-hosting of training programmes, and enable the exchange of knowledge about international exhibitions and communication with investors.
Dr. Al Subaie touched upon the four-pronged National Food Security Strategy, aimed at strengthening the food system in Qatar. The strategy is based first on domestic production, which focuses on producing perishable strategic goods that are difficult to store for long periods. The second focus will depend on the strategic storage of grain and oil commodities that can be stored for long periods, such as wheat, rice, sugar, and edible oils.
The third is the domestic market, which relies on developing a system of transport, marketing, storage, and handling of foodstuff to ensure its quality, safety, and fair price for both producers and consumers. The fourth and final focus is international trade and logistics services, which depend on the diversification and security of food import sources and the necessary logistics services.
Thus, it is important to have such cooperation between Qatar Free Zones Authority and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to integrate efforts to achieve the National Food Security Strategy and create investment opportunities that would benefit the national economy.
Finally, the minister stressed the MME’s readiness to provide all the required facilities under the MoU to ensure the integration of all strategies to achieve Qatar’s Vision 2030.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Al Sayed, said, “This partnership marks a major milestone in our journey to localise advanced technology and innovation to achieve Qatar’s self-sufficiency and sustainable development goals, which is especially important now as we continue to face the challenges posed by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The strategic location of the free zones, the logistics opportunities they offer to global and local companies, and the independent food storage facilities in Hamad Port support these goals by contributing to enhancing the capabilities of our zones and enabling investors and companies from various sectors — including the food and agritech sector — to access the Gulf and regional market.
“We aim to contribute to providing an integrated work environment to build an advanced business cluster for agritech and the food industry to support building a contemporary economy that cements Qatar’s position as an attractive destination for investments and a hub for innovation and talent, across all sectors.”
He emphasised the Free Zones’ pivotal role in localising supply chains, embracing innovation in various sectors, and offering second-to-none competitive advantages, including proximity to the airport and seaport, providing an optimal environment for businesses to grow and continue developing world-class technological and logistical infrastructure.
Qatar Free Zones are designed to be an essential driver of innovation, sustainability, and growth in critical sectors supporting our value chains. Agriculture technology is booming in Qatar, growing at a rate of more than 6% annually. Qatar has demonstrated great economic flexibility and high efficiency in recent years, achieving self-sufficiency in many food sectors.
This has enhanced local production and created investments in many new areas, including vertical farming and advanced irrigation systems. QFZA recently partnered with Eat Just to establish the first regional centre for sustainable food production in the Umm Alhoul Free Zone to support the development of a sustainable global food system.
