Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) on Sunday launched the "National Product Week" to raise awareness of the importance of national industries and encourage consumers to support national products, thereby contributing to sustainable development.
In his speech on this occasion, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs and Business Development at MOCI, Saleh Majid Al Khulaifi said that "National Product Week" is one of the significant initiatives to support national industry, as it highlight the quality of Qatari products and enhances their competitiveness in local and regional markets.
He added that this event reflects MOCI's commitment to supporting the industrial sector, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Al Khulaifi said that "National Product Week" serves as an occasion to enhance cooperation between the public and private sectors, as it allows local companies to showcase their products and highlight their competitive potential. He added that the occasion underscores the achievements made in various industries, strengthening the national economy and increasing the competitiveness of local products, especially in the manufacturing sector.
The Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs and Business Development at MOCI said that through its manufacturing industries strategy, the ministry is implementing 15 major initiatives, which include more than 60 developmental projects, aiming to improve the efficiency of the industrial sector and increase investment in it.
He added that some of the strategy's goals include raising the industrial sector's contribution to the national economy, increasing the value of non-hydrocarbon exports, and improving Qatar's ranking in the Competitive Industrial Performance (CIP) index.
For his part, Director of the National Product Competitiveness Support Department at MOCI, Dr. Mohamad Ahmad Al Sayed stated that through this initiative, the ministry seeks to enhance the ability of local companies and manufacturer to compete, which contributes to achieving economic sustainability.
He pointed out that the initiative has achieved positive results in recent years, with retail outlets recording a 75 percent increase in sales of national products during the previous edition.
Dr. Al Sayed added that MOCI launched a National Product web page on the ministry's website, allowing local factories to request obtaining the Qatari Product logo, a symbol of consumer trust, enhancing the position of local products in the market. The page also provides a platform to file complaints related to harmful international trade practices and industrial constraints, thus, creating a fair, competitive environment that promotes national production sustainability.
The Director of the National Product Competitiveness Support Department at MOCI said that recent years have seen noticeable growth in the number of national products and factories, with the number of national products increasing from 1,727 in 2023 to 1,814 in 2024, arriving at 1,815 products thus far this year.
Dr. Al Sayed noted that the industrial sector also witnessed growth in terms of the number of factories, from 58 factories in 2023 to reach a total of 929 factories, followed by an additional 64 factories in 2024, bringing the total to 993 factories, with one additional factory registered this year, bringing the total number to 994 factories.
Attended by several government body and private sector representatives, the launching ceremony featured a presentation about the national product, in addition to specialized workshops, including one on combating harmful trade practices presented by MOCI and a project development services workshop by Qatar Development Bank.
Through this event, MOCI continues its efforts to support and empower the private sector, build trust in the national product, and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to grow and expand in both local and global markets.
