Doha Forum hosts session on West Asia and North Africa at SPIEF

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, participated in the session titled "West Asia and North Africa: The Way towards stability and prosperity".

The Doha Forum participated in the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which was held from 2-5 June at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The SPIEF is a global platform where members of the business community meet to discuss key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world. This year, the Doha Forum, in partnership with the Roscongress Fund, hosted a prominent session during the third day of the St. Petersburg Forum, in which HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, participated, and the session was titled "West Asia and North Africa: The Way towards stability and prosperity". During the session, questions were directed to HE Sheikh Mohammed, about his views on the long period that the peoples of West Asia and North Africa have waited to achieve the desired stability and prosperity. The meeting served as a platform to discuss the foreign policy of Russia and Qatar and hear firsthand assessment of the challenges and opportunities facing the region. HE Sheikh Mohammed said during the session that Qatar's investments should have an economic, social and environmental impact on the country in which Qatar invests. He added that Qatar believes that the pandemic has changed the global economic landscape and created many opportunities, as for its mission as the Qatar Investment Authority, it highly focused on diversifying the economy, and Qatar focuses heavily on sustainable investments as well, whether it is in technology, infrastructure, education and health care, where these sectors have remained resilient during the pandemic period. HE Sheikh Mohammed also commented during the meeting that Qatar is blessed with natural resources and has a leadership and vision to be a reliable partner for peace and security in the region and Qatar have been a facilitating country and a mediator between the various conflicting parties, adding that Qatar have proven its success for decades in this field and it is not new for Qatar and it will continue on this path. During the forum, other successful interviews were conducted to obtain the opinions of the most prominent participants in the forum. HE the Executive Director of the Doha Forum Lolwah Al Khater, said that for 22 years, the Doha Forum has been a platform for dialogue and diplomacy that brings together leaders and thinkers in the Middle East to discuss the pressing challenges facing the world, and Qatar is excited to bring the Doha Forum to Russia this year for the first time, and to partner with a variety of guests at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and strengthening relations with partners in Russia, adding that the State of Qatar, as the guest country of this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, maintained a high-level presence throughout the four days of the Forum, in addition to a unique business platform in Qatar Pavilion, within a dedicated space called Doha Hall. The S.t Petersburg International Economic Forum has been held in Saint Petersburg, Russia since 1997, and is a leading global forum for members of the business community to meet and discuss major economic issues and trends in the world. Founded in 2000, the Doha Forum is a platform for global dialogue on critical challenges facing the world, promoting exchange of ideas and dialogue, policy-making, and provision of actionable recommendations. The Doha Forum was last held in Doha in December 2019, with 243 participants, 142 nationalities, and 300 media professionals, in addition to more than 100 bilateral meetings and 40 View Point interviews. Doha Forum continued during the years 2020 and 2021, virtually through a series of sessions with the participation of senior policy makers, experts and researchers to discuss a number of pressing global issues.