Türkiye's economy chief along with Turkish officials kicked off Monday the Gulf tour during which he is engaging with investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia to attract foreign capital and bolster the country's policy overhaul.
Starting with the visit to Abu Dhabi, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek arrived in Qatar’s capital Doha on Tuesday to attend the "Türkiye Century Investment Receptions.”
Şimşek, a highly respected technocrat with Wall Street experience, was appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in June to lead a shift to more convenient economic policies.
“Firstly, we had a productive meeting with HE Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi, the UAE Minister of Investment,” Şimşek wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“In our second stop, Qatar, we met with Mr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Finance of Qatar,” he added.
He also noted they met Mohammed Ali Al Khouri, the secretary-general of Expo Doha 2023, and visited "Türkiye Center," as well as that they joined the investment program in Qatari capital where they conveyed the investment opportunities in Türkiye to over 200 investors and representatives from the business world.
The event, themed "Türkiye: Your Resilient Investment Partner," was co-hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Qatar, the Investment Office of Türkiye and the Qatari Businessman Association (QBA).
Gathering the business communities from Türkiye and Qatar, the event at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador in Doha Mehmet Mustafa Göksu provided a platform to explore bilateral relations and discuss investment opportunities in both countries.
Speaking at the event Şimşek highlighted the "excellent political relations” between Türkiye and Qatar and said, "I think it is up to us, the policymakers, but also up to the business community to leverage these excellent political relations in deepening our ties to trade and investments.”
Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, the head of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, said that Türkiye has become a regional hub in its region in the last two decades.
Foreign investors attach importance to Türkiye's structural reforms, and this interest will translate into direct investments in the country Dağlıoğlu said in his interview with Anadolu Agency (AA).
The economic administration actively engages with investors, presenting the new economic program to reverse the long trend of foreign capital outflow. Recently, there has been a notable surge in foreign investors' interest in the Turkish markets.
Taking part at the reception in Doha, Dağlıoğlu said investors are closely following Türkiye's moves and reforms in the field of digitalization and sustainability to get a larger share of supply chains.
Such receptions are bringing together investors in numerous world capitals to boost Türkiye's share of global investments, he told AA.
"In our second century, which we will start under the leadership of our president, we will explain what our goals, what is our vision, what the ‘Century of Türkiye’ means, to investors," he stressed.
The receptions began in London, following on to Asia and then the U.S., he recalled, adding that they have now reached the Gulf countries.
"Especially the shaping of supply chains creates investment opportunities for us, Türkiye has a great advantage in discussions of sustainability, we are a country that was prepared very early for this race," he noted.
Underscoring the digital economy is also a top international concern Dağlıoğlu said they would continue the promotional tours around these three themes – supply chains, sustainability and digital economy – in the coming days.
Commenting on Qatari investments in Türkiye, he said that there are important investments in the finance, infrastructure, technology, tourism and manufacturing industries.
Over 200 companies with Qatari capital are operating in Türkiye with a total investment of over $3 billion, he said.
"We see that investment interest continues in similar sectors," he added.
All countries are trying to shape their investment climate in parallel with global trends, he said, stressing that Türkiye has always kept its investment climate up to date and created an investor-friendly investment climate with strong reform movements under the president's leadership.
"Türkiye has a very competent labor pool with high productivity, this is an advantage for both local companies and international investors," he noted.
Dağlıoğlu said when international investors invest in Türkiye, they not only consider the domestic market of 85 million people, but thanks to its strong infrastructure and superstructure, logistical accessibility to neighboring countries, and critical investments from energy to health and education.
"Our position as a geographical regional hub is also a factor that creates a positive difference for investors," he added.
