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The virtual session included Mohamed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli, board member of the Qatar Chamber and vice president of the Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, along with Philippe Dessoy, president of the ABLCC, and Qaisar Hijazin, secretary general of the ABLCC, according to Qatar News Agency. Talks concentrated on opportunities for cross-border collaboration and ways to deepen economic connections through the ABLCC as a platform for engagement with European Union markets. Qatar News Agency said the discussions highlighted Qatar’s infrastructure, competitive business environment and global positioning as elements supporting its role as an investment destination.
Al Obaidli pointed to extensive partnership potential for Qatari and Belgian firms across multiple industries during the meeting, the news agency reported. He emphasised the value of activating ABLCC structures to increase trade volumes and create additional channels for investors from both sides. The Qatar Chamber board member noted that such steps would build on existing ties and open fresh avenues for cooperation.
Dessoy observed that Qatari investments have already taken root in several Belgian sectors and indicated room for further capital inflows into Belgium and Europe at large, according to the Qatar News Agency account. Hijazin informed participants that the ABLCC intends to stage a significant economic conference in Brussels next year. He extended an invitation for the Qatar Chamber to take part in the gathering to advance business and investment links between Qatari and Belgian enterprises.
The September 5 meeting continues engagement that began with the Qatar Chamber’s attendance at ABLCC board and general assembly sessions in Brussels in June, where Al Obaidli was elected vice president of the organisation, the Qatar Chamber website stated. Those gatherings elected additional board members, including Rashid bin Nasser Al Kaabi as another Qatar Chamber representative on the body. The June meetings examined the ABLCC’s contribution as a connector between Arab and European business communities and considered improvements to its online platform for trade promotion.
Data compiled by Trading Economics from United Nations COMTRADE records show Qatar exported $1.24 billion worth of goods to Belgium in 2024, led by mineral fuels and oils valued at $1.10 billion. Belgium shipped goods worth $246 million to Qatar the same year, with pharmaceutical products, machinery and medical apparatus forming the largest categories. Qatar has served as the main liquefied natural gas supplier to Belgium’s Zeebrugge terminal, a relationship that has supported sustained energy sector cooperation between the two countries.
The Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, established more than 45 years ago and headquartered in Brussels, maintains a network that links Belgian, Luxembourg and Arab business interests, materials on the ABLCC website indicate. The group participates in initiatives such as a 2025 economic mission that brought 40 Belgian companies to Qatar and Kuwait to identify partnership openings in healthcare, sustainability and related fields. Its proximity to European Union institutions in the Belgian capital supports efforts to broaden commercial exchanges across regions.
