Page 76 - Mission Brief Qatar 2019 v2

B. EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE IN
FOODSTUFFS WITH QATAR

 Shortage of foodstuffs had been reported during the first
few days after Qatar’s neighbors in the Gulf region
severed diplomatic ties with the country and closed its
land, air and maritime borders. Prior to the event,
foodstuffs were mainly imported into Qatar from Saudi
Arabia through its land border.

 In view of the supply gap left by Saudi Arabia and the
UAE, Qatar has been engaging new import sources, such
as Turkey, Iran and Oman for the supply of foodstuffs.
Should the crisis normalise soon, Qatar is believed to
reduce its dependency on the GCC and move towards
self-sufficiency and diversification.

 In this regard, Malaysia could leverage on these emerging
opportunities to increase our exports of foodstuffs to
Qatar.

 According to MATRADE, there is a huge demand for
cooking oils, pasta and juices in Qatar now since the crisis
took place.

 Moreover, the conflict is expected to accelerate Qatari
Government’s efforts to fast-track its domestic production
of foodstuffs in meeting requirements and moving towards
self-sufficiency. In this regard, Malaysian companies in
this sector are encouraged to explore opportunities
through joint ventures as well as sharing of technologies
and expertise.

 According to regional financial advisory firm Alpen Capital,
the Government of Qatar remains determined to achieve
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