Qatar Chamber delegation arrives in Kathmandu for JBC talks

KATHMANDU: A delegation from Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) has arrived in Kathmandu for talks on the Joint Business Council (JBC) established between the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Qatar Chamber.

The agreement to form the JBC was signed during the visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to Nepal in April 2024 and is intended to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. The JBC meeting is taking place in Kathmandu on February 9 and 10.

The Qatari delegation, which arrived at the invitation of FNCCI President Chandra Prasad Dhakal, is led by Mohamed Bin Ahmed Al Obaidly, a board member of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The JBC has been established as a structured platform to promote dialogue, business collaboration and direct engagement between the private sectors of Nepal and Qatar.

During their stay, the delegation will hold high-level meetings and is scheduled to meet Finance Minister Rameshore Prasad Khanal, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Anil Kumar Sinha, and Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Governor Dr Biswo Nath Poudel.

FNCCI President Dhakal said, "Finalising and activating the JBC will be crucial for expanding bilateral trade, encouraging investment flows, and strengthening partnerships between the businessmen of both countries." He added that the discussions will focus on making the JBC practical and result-oriented and on identifying concrete areas of cooperation.

FNCCI described Nepal and Qatar as having a long-standing cordial relationship and strong people-to-people contacts that are now moving towards deeper economic cooperation. The federation said recent high-level bilateral visits have created a positive environment for increased private sector participation and that Nepal offers attractive investment opportunities in hydropower and renewable energy, tourism, agro-processing, information technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, health and education.