The Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar (IPA Qatar) took part in a special webinar hosted by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) on Tuesday. Titled "IPAs’ Role in a Post-COVID-19 World: How an Integrative Approach Can Create a More Resilient and Sustainable Investment Ecosystem", the virtual event brought together the Heads of four IPAs from around the world to exchange best practices and share insights on the topic. 

Speakers in the webinar, which was moderated by WAIPA CEO Mr. Bostjan Skalar, were IPA Qatar’s CEO Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani; Business France’s Deputy CEO and Head of Investment Promotion, Ms. Marie-Cecile Tardieu; Malaysian Investment Development Authority’s Deputy CEO, Mr. Ahmad Khairuddin Abdul Rahim; and the Head of Communications of the Investment Office of the Presidency of Turkey, Mr. Bekir Polat. 

WAIPA CEO congratulates the IPA on its first anniversary and the launch of the Invest Qatar brand. The event kicked off with Mr. Skalar congratulating Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani on IPA Qatar’s first anniversary and the recent launch of the Invest Qatar brand. He commented: “On behalf of WAIPA, I would like to congratulate our member, IPA Qatar, on the occasion of its first anniversary as well as welcome to the global FDI network the recently launched Invest Qatar brand. Throughout its first year, we have witnessed IPA Qatar’s active role in the scene by engaging and partnering with many relevant institutions around the world.” 

Following an overview of COVID-19’s effects on Qatar’s economy, the IPA Qatar CEO highlighted the crucial role of multilateral cooperation in expanding investment opportunities. He elaborated: “A full recovery from the pandemic will require multilateral cooperation among all economic stakeholders. So far, we had bilateral discussions with a number of other IPAs and are keen on taking the conversation further with our international counterparts and complementary institutions. In parallel, we are working with licensing platforms in Qatar to make sure the landscape is equipped and ready for new investment ventures in the post-COVID era.” 

During the webinar, Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani talked about the importance of focusing on business continuity and resilience as nations and firms transition towards a new economy. Additionally, he discussed the growing role of the digital sector in Qatar’s march towards a knowledge-based economy, and the need for all parties involved to accelerate digital transformation in the recovery and post recovery phase, which he said requires a sustainable ICT Infrastructure at its core. 

It is worth mentioning that WAIPA’s webinar complements IPA Qatar’s FDI Digital Dialogue Series. The series recently kicked off to actively engage and collaborate with partner IPAs and other global FDI stakeholders, with the aim of developing a more resilient and sustainable investment ecosystem on a national and global level.