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April 14th, 2020 - The US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) released the print edition of the “Business Opportunity Report: Qatar’s Food Security” to provide essential information for American companies interested in doing business in Qatar’s food security sector. The report includes remarks from HE Eng. Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, Qatar’s Minister of Municipality and Environment, in addition to key information on Qatar’s food security sector targeted for US companies. The report was sponsored Lulu Hypermarket and Y International USA Inc at the Gold level.
Through a combination of factors including rapid economic development, population growth, environmental challenges, and political disputes, Qatar has made ensuring the country’s food security a top priority.
In response to these challenges, Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment set out the Qatar National Food Security Strategy 2018-2023 which focused on four main pillars: International Trade and Logistics, Domestic Self-Sufficiency, Strategic Reserves, and Domestic Markets. This plan, in addition to the many infrastructure, agricultural, and related projects contributing to Qatar’s food security, has helped the country increase agricultural, fish, animal, and dairy production by 400% and increased self-sufficiency in vegetable production by 80% during the course of the blockade.
“Qatar’s rapid pace of development in food security has resulted in the country taking the 13th overall position and 1st position in the MENA region for food security according to the 2019 Global Food Security Index”, said Mr. Mohammed Barakat, Managing Director of USQBC. He followed, “Qatar is committed to becoming food secure and has many projects in the pipeline and opportunities for US companies.”
The United States is already a key partner in Qatar’s transformation to becoming a food secure country. In 2019, the US exported over $141 million worth of food-related products to Qatar representing an 11% increase from the previous year. The top five state exporters were California ($26,930,500), Georgia ($23,044,000), Virginia ($15,406,000), New Jersey ($12,434,000), and Texas ($8,361,000). A key contributor of US food exports to Qatar is through Lulu Hypermarket and Y International USA Inc. Lulu Hypermarket’s 14 state-of-the-art stores and Shopping Mall in Qatar have provided retail distribution with many food imports arriving from its Y International USA Inc. distribution center in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
"We look forward to new partnerships in Qatar’s food security sector for US companies,” said Sheikha Mayes bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director of USQBC Doha Office. “The country is committed to growing its food and water stocks sustainably while using the most advanced environmental technologies and methodologies.”
Today, Qatar is looking to further enhance ties with the US in the country’s food security efforts. Some of the key areas for partnerships and commercial opportunities for US companies include: Technology Transfer, Research, Genetics, Biological Controls, Standardization, Testing, Green Fodder, Meat Supply, and Strategic Stocks Management.
To download the report, click here: https://bit.ly/31VnNYu