This is apropos a Business Recorder news item “Infrastructure, other sectors: Qataris urged to explore opportunities” carried by the newspaper on front page in its yesterday’s edition.
In his two-day-long visit to Qatar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while highlighting Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators and reform measures introduced to facilitate foreign investment, he invited the members of Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA) to explore opportunities infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing sectors.
According to the news report, the prime minister appreciated the constructive role played by the Qatar Businessmen Association in strengthening economic and commercial linkages between the two countries.
That Qatar is one of the world’s richest nations, with GDP per capita over USD80,000 is a fact. While the sheikhdom’s economy largely relies on hydrocarbons it seeks to diversify it. Qatar’s Strategic Vision 2030 says it all. However, making overseas investments seems to be its policy objective now.
Pakistan, therefore, has a big chance to attract as much as foreign direct investment from this Islamic country as possible in its various sectors, including infrastructure. It is good to note that both Pakistan and Qatar have fully appreciated the significance of enhanced economic ties between the two countries. That is why perhaps they have agreed to undertake special efforts to facilitate linkages between the businesses and entrepreneurs of both the countries so that business-to-business relations between Pakistan and Qatar could be enhanced.
The Pakistani government will be required to allow the would-be Qatari investors 100% foreign ownership, full repatriation of profits, tax holidays, etc.
Be that as it may, the growing economic cooperation between the two countries is likely to lead to increased and meaningful defence cooperation between them in near future.
Suleman Mehtab (Dubai)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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