ع
The meeting, held in Doha on Tuesday, centred on the private sector’s future plans along with current obstacles and suggestions for refining the business climate, the Qatar News Agency reported. Qatari Businessmen Association representatives outlined their assessments of various topics tied to commercial operations and investment opportunities. Discussions also addressed approaches to simplifying regulatory steps, elevating service standards and fostering an environment that promotes enterprise growth and operational scaling.
The minister highlighted the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s resolve to reinforce the private sector, which he positioned as a vital ally in pursuing sustainable economic development. He noted that sustained interaction with corporate figures and integration of their input can refine regulatory frameworks, heighten operational efficiency and bolster overall competitiveness. The conversation extended to recent shifts in economic and trade conditions that influence the business landscape as well as forthcoming ministry programmes intended to advance private enterprise.
This exchange reflects wider state initiatives to expand the private sector’s economic footprint. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry reported a 60 percent increase in new non-Qatari company registrations in the second quarter of 2026, totalling 5,272 entities. Industrial investment accumulated to QR248.44 billion during the period, ministry figures show.
Small and medium-sized enterprises constitute 97 percent of private sector establishments across Qatar and have driven non-oil expansion at an annual rate of around 6 percent, a Zawya analysis found. The country has remained within the top 10 economies in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor index for the past five years. A Qatar University Social and Economic Survey Research Institute policy brief identified elevated operating expenses and marketing constraints as leading difficulties for private businesses in the domestic setting.
Conditions in the non-energy private sector showed slight gains at the start of 2026 when the Purchasing Managers’ Index advanced to 50.6 in February from 50.4 a month earlier, S&P Global data indicates. New orders registered their eighth consecutive monthly decline though the pace of output contraction eased from January levels. These indicators supply background for continued dialogue between authorities and business representatives on tackling underlying limitations.
Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy covering 2024 to 2030 establishes goals to enlarge the private sector’s proportion of gross domestic product while channelling increased credit toward smaller firms, according to Planning and Statistics Authority documents. The framework further envisions that private sources will supply 70 percent of venture capital and that 0.1 percent of total GDP will support SME financing mechanisms. Such targets emphasise the value of routine consultations of the type conducted with the Qatari Businessmen Association.
