1 June 2023, Doha – Qatar: The Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA Qatar) and the German Federal Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW) announced the inauguration of a BVMW representative office in Doha, its first-ever headquarters in the GCC region.

The official launch of the BVMW representative office in Qatar signifies a remarkable step towards advancing Qatari-German business cooperation. The office will connect 900,000-BVMW alliance members with Qatari counterparts and serve as a hub for connecting German businesses with potential partners across the region.

The inauguration was witnessed by H.E. Saleh bin Majid Al-Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary of Commerce and Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI); Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani, CEO, IPA Qatar; and Mr. Markus Jerger, Executive Chairman, BVMW. The ceremony was also attended by a delegation of German business leaders representing different sectors, including telecommunications, advanced manufacturing, technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), food and e-gaming.

Today’s announcement builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IPA Qatar and BVMW, which aims to further advance Qatari-German economic and commercial cooperation and identify new opportunities within the SME sector. It also sets forth a collaborative framework to promote and support for the establishment and expansion of German companies into Qatar.

Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani, CEO, IPA Qatar, said: "This is a significant milestone in our partnership with BVMW, which continues to create new avenues to deepen Qatari-German cooperation. The inauguration of BVMW’s first headquarters in the GCC region is a testament to Qatar’s conducive business environment, and its leading position as a thriving investment hub. We look forward to supporting more German SMEs to pursue their business growth ambitions in Qatar and the region.”

Markus Jerger, Executive Chairman, BVMW, said: “As a proud representative of German SMEs, the economic backbone of Germany, we are delighted to inaugurate our first GCC headquarters in Doha. With great anticipation, we foresee our new office playing a pivotal role in fostering a multitude of prosperous Qatari-German joint ventures in the years to come. Through these collaborations, our objective is to strengthen our common economy, while forging closer ties with our partners in Qatar and the wider region. The immense growth potential of this new chapter fills us with enthusiasm and we look forward to the remarkable successes that will unfold through this exciting journey."