The Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) hosted a business lunch to commemorate the visit of a delegation of Swiss medical services and medical tourism companies led by H E Edgar Doerig, Swiss Ambassador to Qatar.
At the start of the meeting, Al Kaabi, QBA’s board member, welcomed Swiss delegation and also spoke about the great depth of bilateral relations between the two nations.
Despite the fact that Switzerland is a popular tourist destination for Gulf residents and Qataris, Al Kaabi stated that Qatar is preparing to host a spectacular World Cup, with the country welcoming Swiss fans and tourists.
The Swiss Ambassador believes that there are promising prospects for expanding Qatari-Swiss cooperation in a variety of sectors, particularly medical tourism and tourism. Doerig also stated that trade between Qatar and Switzerland will increase by 92 percent to more than QR5 billion in 2021, up from QR2.6 billion in 2020.
The Swiss national team’s qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to the Ambassador, will increase Swiss tourists’ interest in visiting Qatar.
During the event, Al Fardan (QBA’s board Member) also stated that, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing interest among Qatari Businessmen Association members in the health technology and health sector; and that relations with Switzerland are improving in many sectors, including tourism, particularly medical treatment, opening the door to even greater ties between the private sectors in both nations.
Doerig also stated that the Qatari market has become increasingly important to Switzerland, and that Qatar is the 3rd largest market in the Middle East and North Africa for Switzerland. He also stated that the number of Swiss tourists visiting Qatar is increasing, emphasising the region’s significant investment opportunities and the World Cup sending positive signals.