Axel Wabenhorst during the reception to celebrate the opening of ‘Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route’ Exhibition at City Centre Rotana on Monday. Pic:Baher Amin/The Peninsula
DOHA: The import of food products from Australia to Qatar is increasing, said Axel Wabenhorst, Ambassador of Australia.
“Bilateral trade between Qatar and Australia is currently worth more than $1.6bn (over QR4.3bn,” the Australian envoy told The Peninsula while speaking on the sidelines of an art exhibition on the intersection of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian histories along the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia, the longest historical stock route in the world.
The exhibition “Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route” opened on Monday at the City Center Rotana Hotel. The Yiwarra Kuju exhibition displays stunning artworks from senior and emerging Aboriginal artists and tells the story of the Canning Stock Route’s impact on Aboriginal people, and the importance of the country that surrounds it, through the eyes of Aboriginal Australians.
The exhibition was presented by the National Museum of Australia, developed in partnership with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and FORM, in collaboration with the Australian Embassy in Qatar.
“The exhibition will remain open for one week till next Monday,” said Wabenhorst.
He said that the theme of the exhibition is based on the story of encounter in the Australian desert. “The Canning Stock Route runs almost 2,000 km across the West Australian desert, and was developed about 100 years ago on Aboriginal homelands as pastoral industries grew ,” said Wabenhorst.
“The exhibition is an important part of Australian history because it reveals the richness of desert life, and tells the story of encounters between Aboriginal Australians and white people along this vast stretch of land ,” said Wabenhorst. It is a story of contact, conflict and survival, of exodus and return. Above all, it is a story of family, culture and Country.
He said that Australian exports to Qatar are dominated by food products such as meat, and non-food items like aluminium ores. Major Australian companies have operations in Qatar, including in the infrastructure and engineering sector.
Replying to a question on bilateral trade between the two countries, Wabenhorst said: “We encourage trade and investments. There are a lot of opportunities to further expand the trade and investment relationship between Australia and Qatar and the embassy provides information to the people who interested in that.
He said that visa procedures for Australia are relatively easy. “People can apply for an Australian visa online or can go to Jaida Square, VFS office to submit the request in person. But online is the simplest way for visa application,” said Wabenhorst.
He added that now it is good time to travel to Australia because the weather is good and cool. He said that there are about 3,300 Australian expatriates living in Qatar.
