Chairman's Message
From comparatively modest beginnings in 1992 when Francis Geere, then 1st Secretary Commercial at the British Embassy in Doha, promoted (with the help of a small steering committee) the idea of establishing a British Business Group in Qatar, the Qatar British Business Forum, or QBBF as it is now popularly known, has grown in stature and influence, and at the end of 2010 achieved a membership of 415, comprising individual, corporate and associate members.
Bob Muir OBE was a founding member of QBBF, and has served as Chairman since 2000.
That membership profile encompasses many different disciplines and offers members and guests networking opportunities throughout the year by means of monthly luncheon or dinner events (normally held on the first Monday of each month at the Ramada Plaza Doha) to meet visiting inward trade missions, to hear from UK Government Ministers and speakers on topics of local interest, all with the purpose of promoting and enhancing business and trade relations between Qatar and the United Kingdom.
The QBBF works closely with the UK Trade and Investment (UKT&I) section at the British Embassy. UKT&I is the UK government department that helps UK based companies succeed in international markets and assists overseas companies to bring high quality investment to the United Kingdom. The QBBF Office Manager, Rosemary Dyer, is responsible for the day to day affairs of the QBBF and is co-located within UKT&I at the British Embassy in the West Bay area of Doha. Rosemary's contact details appear on the QBBF Committee pages immediately following.
Prospects also exist for members to widen their social contacts within the business community and elsewhere by participating in a number of social and other events, a number of which are organized and staged at the British Embassy by kind permission of the British Ambassador.
Links with other business groups in Qatar and regional British Business Groups remain a strong part of our focus and regular meetings with those groups take place to provide a forum for an interchange of views and opinions on business activity.
The QBBF will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2012 with Qatar now being a recognized market for British goods, services, technology and expertise against a background of massive developments in infrastructure, health, education, sport, transport. All of these developments, and many more, will feature prominently as Qatar moves forward to implement the vision of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani through "Qatar National Vision 2030", a strategy which will undoubtedly offer tremendous opportunities for all aspects of British business.
Robert Muir OBE
QBBF Chairman
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