Latest news with #VictorianGovernmentTradeandInvestment
Zawya
02-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Qatari investors encouraged to tap into fast-growing startup landscape
DOHA: The State of Victoria, Australia, is extending a strong invitation to Qatari investors, highlighting a wealth of strategic investment opportunities across sectors such as renewable energy, health, sports, agri-food, education, and technology. Speaking to The Peninsula, Gönül Serbest, Commissioner for Victoria to Europe, the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa at the Victorian Government Trade and Investment, emphasised the growing potential for collaboration between Qatar and Australia's fastest-growing state. 'Qatari investors will find Victoria offering a compelling, stable, and globally connected investment environment,' Serbest said. 'As Australia's fastest growing state, Victoria contributes around 25 percent of the national GDP and population, and Melbourne has consistently ranked as one of the world's most liveable cities.' With a population exceeding 7 million, Victoria offers a highly skilled and diverse workforce, backed by a $129bn startup and innovation ecosystem. 'Melbourne is among the top 40 global startup hubs,' Serbest noted. 'It provides a fertile ground for Qatari tech and innovation-driven investments, which aligns closely with Qatar's national vision to strengthen its own startup ecosystem.' Sport has also become a cornerstone for bilateral engagement, with Victoria's capital, Melbourne, recognised globally as a leader in sports tech, event management, and infrastructure. 'Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia and a global hub for sports tech and innovation,' Serbest said. She also highlighted the recent successful trade mission timed with the SportNXT conference, which welcomed key Qatari participants, including representatives from the Qatar Foundation and Aspire Academy. 'As part of the delegation, we were thrilled to welcome to Melbourne, sporting legend and icon Tim Cahill, an enduring ambassador for Australia-Qatar relations,' Serbest said. 'His presence spotlighted the strength of our people-to-people ties and the powerful role sport plays in uniting our two nations.' Looking ahead, Victoria plans to build on this momentum with a return trade mission to the Gulf region, focusing on deepening partnerships in sports, technology, and innovation. 'We are preparing to bring Victorian companies from the sports sector to Qatar and beyond, to explore business partnerships and knowledge exchange,' she confirmed. Education and edtech are also on Victoria's radar for collaboration. 'We'll be engaging stakeholders at the next WISE Summit, Qatar's premier global platform for education innovation,' Serbest said, pointing to Victoria's position as 'Australia's education state,' with 11 universities (two ranked in the global top 50), 12 technical institutes, and over 1,000 private education providers. In clean energy, Victoria is setting the pace with a target of 95 percent renewable electricity by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2045 — five years ahead of Australia's national target. Serbest stressed that 'Victoria is investing approximately $35bn in new renewable energy projects, which aligns with Qatar's ambitions to diversify its energy sources. Agriculture remains another core pillar of the pitch. 'Victoria is widely recognised as Australia's agricultural powerhouse,' she said. 'We produce over one-third of the country's food exports, valued at $40bn, and we're a leader in sustainable farming and agtech. This presents tremendous potential for Qatari investors seeking access to the Asia-Pacific through a trusted agricultural base,' Serbest concluded. © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
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 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.' 'Melbourne-Doha was the airline's first Australian route, beginning December 2009. Qatar Airways is also a key supporter of Victoria's sport and major events calendar, given its role as Global Partner and Official Airline of the Australian Formula 1 in Melbourne and Official Airline & Cargo Airline Partner of MotoGP in Philip Island,' she said. The official stated that while there is a strong foundation and positive momentum, there is still room to strengthen and diversify the relationship further as the countries continue to build on this base, supporting more Qatari Australian collaborations in the years ahead. To strengthen the relationship between Victoria and Qatar, Serbest visited Doha this year and held talks with senior representatives from key organisations, including the Qatar Foundation, Invest Qatar (the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar), the Qatar Chamber of Commerce, Qatar Airways, and Aspire Academy. She said, 'Our discussions focused on expanding and deepening bilateral trade and investment ties, particularly in sectors where there is strong alignment and synergies such as sports, education, health, climate action, technology, and of course, food and agriculture.' In terms of the education sector, she said Victoria is a 'global leader' in quality, innovation, and inclusion. There are currently several ongoing conversations between Qatari and Victorian universities to collaborate in teaching bachelor, and postgraduate courses in Qatar. Serbest said, 'This presents an exciting and promising development in the relationship.' On the other hand, she lauded Qatar's heritage and tradition and was 'deeply impressed' with the city's commitment to design excellence and modern architecture with its cultural identity. 'It's a powerful example of how design can elevate urban environments while honouring cultural roots,' she said. Serbest emphasised that Sport is a 'powerful connector' between the two countries as she noted that Victoria is uniquely positioned to drive economic development through various sports, including the Grand Slam tennis tournament and Formula 1 Grand Prix. 'Qatar has emerged as a global player and hub for major sporting events, with a growing focus on grassroots development, and therefore, the potential for collaboration is significant,' she added. The Commissioner also praised the support and leadership of the Australian Embassy in Doha, Ambassador H E Shane Flanagan, and the team. © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( The Peninsula Newspaper
