Uganda’s embassy in Qatar is set to open a business hub in Doha, Qatar to support Ugandans penetrate one of the most affluent markets in the Middle East.
The hub, Mr Muhammad Baswari Kezaala, Uganda’s deputy ambassador to Qatar, said will be a collection of all Ugandan goods, where they will be promoted and sold.
“These people love the Nile Perch. Demand for it is high, but how does the business community access it? We have decided to open a business hub where all goods from Uganda will be sold,” he said at the weekend while addressing members of the Ugandan business community in Qatar.
“All that we need is you, the trader, and your merchandise. The embassy will not require you to pay for rent in the hub or pay for utilities like electricity and water. The embassy will at the same time be responsible for publicity,” Mr Kezaala, who was speaking ahead of a planned two-day Uganda Qatar Diaspora Convention scheduled between November 21 and 22 in Doha under the theme “Building Bridges for National Development”, added.
The convention, which is expected to bring together about 300 participants, is expected to address measures that promote trade between Uganda and Qatar, and a plenary session, where the rights of migrant workers, and human and drug trafficking, will be discussed.
Officials from Qatar’s ministries of Commerce and Labour are expected to make presentations on micro and small-scale business opportunities and labour laws, while Private Sector Foundation of Uganda is expected to discuss micro and small-scale investment opportunities in Uganda.
Data from Uganda’s embassy in Doha indicates that Uganda exported goods worth $9m (Shs33.2b) to Qatar in 2023, while on the other hand, Qatar exported goods worth $12.5m (Shs46.1b) to Uganda.
Uganda exports mostly agricultural products such as avocado, sweet potatoes, maize bran, and residues from wheat processing to Qatar.
Uganda is the leading exporter of Avocado to Qatar, controlling 35 percent of the market share followed by Kenya.
However, there are few tourists visiting Uganda from Qatar, which the IMF considers one of the richest countries in the world with a Gross Domestic Product of $263b.
“We are working on marketing Uganda to these people so that we boost the numbers coming to visit Uganda,” Mr Kezaala said.
There are about 26,000 Uganda working and living in Qatar, most of whom are migrant workers employed in casual jobs such as cleaning, housekeeping, and security guards, among others.
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