Qatar-Australia trade grows 10.2%, cementing strong ties

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Australia relationship is robust and steadily growing, with Qatar ranking among Australia s top three trading partners in the M...

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar-Australia relationship is robust and steadily growing, with Qatar ranking among Australia’s top three trading partners in the MENA region.

The two-way trade in goods and services reached A$3.4bn (QR8bn) as of 2023, reflecting an increase of 10.2 percent from 2022, an official explained.

In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula, Gonul Serbest, Commissioner for Victoria to Europe, the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa at the Victorian Government Trade and Investment, noted that the Australian state of Victoria and Qatar play a key role in strengthening trade ties, especially in education, health, research, and innovation.

“Victoria state is pleased to be able to contribute to this momentum, and while our exports to Qatar have traditionally been dominated by agricultural goods, in particular meat and dairy, we are seeing a diversification of exports given Qatar’s bold vision and post-World Cup legacy initiatives,” she said.

From an investment perspective, Australia and Qatar Airways have played a vital part in connecting the two regions. Serbest said, “Last year marked 15 years of direct flights between Melbourne and Doha, which has been a key enabler of trade, tourism, and people-to-people links.”